Trash Orientation Part 1

In the book Trash written by Andy Mulligan. 3 dumpsite boys, Raphael, Gardo and Rat (Jun jun) accidently get into something deep and mysterious. It all started when Raphael and Gardo find a bag, a bag in which there is some papers, a wallet filled with 1100 pesos, an ID card belonging to Jose Angelico and a key with the numbers 101 wrapped in the town map. Then the police came, they came to look for the bag, the bag Raphael and Gardo found. When the police announced that they'd give
10 000 pesos to the person who finds it Raphael and Gardo knew there was something up so they lied, they didnt give in the bag because they dont believe that the police would give the money. Gardo had an idea, they would hide the bag in Rats home. When they went over there Rats figured out what the key was for but not without a price of 100 pesos so Raphael gave him the money. The key opens a locker at the train station. Raphael, Gardo and Rat go to the train station a few days after they found out to not look suspicious. In the locker they found a brown envelope, inside that brown envelope was a letter to a prisoner, in that letter was a peice of paper with a line of numbers that made no sense to them.

In the book there are evidence of police corruption. For example "You really think they will give it?" Gardo was talking to Rat when he asked why they didnt just swap the bag for money. Page 24. This shows that Gardo and Raphael dont trust the police. They think that the police is only saying that to get the bag. Another example is when Gardo is thinking to himself "If the police think you've got something, they wont stop until they've got it." Page 35. This shows that the police will do anything to get what they want. They will abuse their power and will get it from you violently if they have to and they will  get away because Behala is poor and cant fight back. This show that they are corrupt.

In the book there is also evidence that there are many dangers of poverty. For example "I would not have lived there- anywhere would have been better," Raphael commenting on Rats hole. This shows that Rat, a 10-year-old boy, lives under the trash. Raphael says that he wouldnt love there because the mountain of trash moves. The hole Rat lives in can collapse any second because of the weight of trash its under. Another example is when Raphael's auntie says "I'm too old to move again, and the two little ones..." This shows that Raphael's auntie knows what will happen if she gets caught with the bag. She knows that people dont care about the poor and bad things will not only happen to her but also the two little ones.