Summary

“The Air You Breathe” begins with Dores’s titular song lyrics that confront taking an essential person for granted. In Chapter 5, Dores reflects on Graça’s ability to wear her extravagant costumes. Dores discusses the performance of womanhood and its policing. She explains that following these societal guidelines is a form of protection. Lapa was not necessarily a safe place to be at the time the girls escaped there. Men found Lapa mostly in search of women and drugs, and the city pulsed with samba music. Dores acknowledges that she and Graça learned in Lapa that their dreams would not be so easily attainable.

In Chapter 6, Dores and Graça spent their first night in Lapa after singing in front of the Mayrink radio station. Graça wanted to continue singing the next day, but Dores insisted they find a job. Their...