please, evaluate my essay.

[manuela.melo]

Well, I wrote an essay with the topic I read in the Kaplan ebook i've dowloaded.

That's the topic: Describe one event from your country's history, and explain why it was important. Provide clear explanations and detailsin support of your answer.

(I know you might not know anything about Brazilian history, but you may look at the eventual spelling and grammar problems, as well as any other problem you find. Thanks A LOT! )


The essay:



One of the most important events of Brazilian history was, undoubtedly, the Portuguese’s arrival, in 1500. They were navigating, trying to get to India, but a storm made them get lost, that's how they discovered Brazil. The question is: clearly, Brazil would never be what it is now without the influence of European culture, in several aspects, including in cultural importance and development.

The arrival of Europeans in a territory which was occupied by people whose culture was completely different was, of course, a chock. The Eurocentric common thought of the century was the main reason why they started changing everything. They brought Catholicism and several other habits. One example that can be given is the habit of dressing clothes, which started in Europe because of the cold climate, and came to Brazil with them. Lots of aspects of European culture are integrated with Brazilian culture now because of the Portuguese arrival in 1500.

The Portuguese’s arrival also contributed (if we actually can call it a contribution) to the multi-ethnical Brazilian background, when they brought the African people here and made them slaves. They used to say black people had no soul. What we could see in Brazil in those times was only slavery and exploration; people cared only for their economic interests. The way they treated black people and the condition they were explored is the main reason why there are racism in Brazil today, and that's why black people here are often synonym of poor people.

The process of colonization that started in Brazil wasn't like the process of colonization of USA, for example. Europeans weren't here to actually live and develop the territory for their own benefit. They were here to explore its rich natural recourses and come back home with lots of money. That's where the social difference between the countries begun. That's why we live a terrible condition of social inequality today, that's where the big problem started.

The development and culture of Brazil wouldn't be what it actually is without the Portuguese influence, although all the invaluable damage they caused.