What does the author believe to be lost in the pursuit of "objectivity"?

The author claims that much of the culture and interactions of Northeast Brazil is a holdover from the prior feudal, slave-based system. What are some pieces of evidence that support this claim? What are crucial differences between that time and the present?

How does the author use conditions of "hunger" and "thirst" in Bom Jesus to illustrate the connection between economic and social issues? What is she trying to argue through the employment of these metaphors?