The two characters I want to talk about are Mercedes and Sugar.
I’m under the assumption Mercedes is a little younger than Sylvia and Sugar. I think Mercedes was trying to have an open and innocent experience at F. A. O. Schowartz. Instead of having to think about the price she just admired the toys and even wanted to come back with her birthday money.
Sylvia had a really different experience. She was angry and appalled about the prices in the store being close to what it could cost to feed multiple families. I understand Sylvia, it’s really sad as a kid realizing that you are poor. You see your parents struggling to put food on the table and become hyper aware to how much less you might have than others around you. You see your friends at school getting huge gifts or going on vacations. You don’t really get to enjoy your childhood. I think that is why Sylvia felt so much anger towards this experience. Being at the store probably made her feel like she was being taunted.
4 thoughts on “Jasmine Thompson Week 4 discussion”
You definitely shifted my mind frame about Sylvia’s way of thinking. Everyone is not the same and does not think the same. Sometimes I myself get caught up in wondering why a person think the way they do, and that’s how I felt about Sylvia. I was hoping she would’ve been more open minded to the experience, but how could she at the time when she is in the midst of struggle. Her hardships made her angry, there was really nothing for her to enjoy. I loved Mercedes attitude towards the whole experience. She realized that she was a person just like everyone else in that store, and she expanded her way of thinking.
Hello Jasmine! I agree, I felt sad when Sylvia couldn’t find the same enjoyment as Mercedes. Throughout the story it seemed as though a lot of the kids were kind of annoyed with Mercedes but, then I understood why. She didn’t share the experience of the other children. She had a bit more financial comfort compared to everyone else. So I guess to an extent they already knew there was a difference but after arriving at the store and seeing how the prices shocked everyone except for Mercedes, they definitely understood the extent of it. That’s such a harsh realization to come to for a child and I agree, it explains a lot her anger. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hello Jasmine! I have to say that I truly enjoyed reading your discussion and how you were able to take in the information that you read. Reading your discussion made me realize more about the passage, that I was not able to see for myself. Mercedes was trying to have an open and innocent experience, I don’t think that she purposely meant to make the other children feel bad. Your discussion about Sylvia was completely right about her being taunted. I feel that Mercedes’s comments were pushing and taunting her even more. She kept on repeating herself saying how the toys are stupid because I believe that she was trying to convince herself and others that she did not want them.
Hello Jasmine I chose Mercedes just like you but your point of view of experience is interesting. I thought that she saw the prices but just didn’t care about them. I agree about admiring the toys but I think she also wanted to become someone who could go to this store normally. She is different from the other children and she showed it by having things the others don’t and the way they enter the store. I agree on Sylvia being angry about finding out just how poor she was but I think she still did enjoy her childhood at least until this one moment where she had to come face to face with reality.