Ms. Moore is a representation of a new future, “a symbol of changing times” as it was described in the critical essay on “The Lesson”. Ms. Moore stood out in the neighborhood and was different from all the parents not only because she had a college degree but with her outlook on life and her understanding of justice, unlike the rest of people in the community she disdains the church and even her physical appearance highlights her being different “she has nappy hair” and she “wears no makeup”.
When Ms. Moore brought the kids to the F.A.O Shwarts toy store it opened up a curtain into the world they didn’t know of and we could clearly see a difference in kid’s reaction. While Sylvia, who is usually so confident and bossy in her hood, for the first time feels shy and ashamed, scared to go into the store. Finally “tumbled in like a glued-together jigsaw done all wrong”, getting everyone’s attention at the store and being out of place. Meanwhile Mercedes acts like she belongs to that world unlike the rest of the kids in the group she confidently squeezes past them “smoothing out her jumper and walking right down the aisle”. She was the only one to have a desk at home and proudly comments that her father would buy the sailboat toy for her if she wanted it. Mercedes feels proud to belong to this “white world reality”. The only lesson she takes home with her from this field trip is that she would like to come back there again with her birthday money.
Meanwhile Sylvia’s vision of the reality has been shifted significantly and she is going through a rollercoaster of emotions that challenge her perception of the world she’s been living in up until now. She is stunned at the cost of the toy boat and also she is feeling pissed off next. “Who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and 1000$ for toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain’t in on it”. These are the questions that Sylvia is facing and “she gets a headache for thinking so hard”. As Sugar was speaking up about there not being democracy and equal chances to pursue happiness, Sylvia is angry at her friend for supporting miss Moore but she can’t help a feeling “something weird is going on, I can feel it in my chest”. And in the finishing scene of the story we witness that Sylvia cannot be bothered with the four dollars change anymore, she has a lot on her mind and she gets away “to think this day through”.
2 thoughts on “Discussion 4 Victoria Chen”
Hello Victoria, i love what you said “Miss Moore is a representation of the new future” That was very important because she was teaching the group so much about life and the difference in Rich and Poor. Although Sylvia was angry about the unfairness in the world it was good for them to see and understand.
Hi Victoria! I loved what you wrote and the way you interpreted the story. Sylvia and Miss More are the main characters of the story but for me, it was hard to understand Sylvia’s personality. I could understand that she is bossy but reading the story, I didn’t understand how shy she felt during the experience at the store. Also, I agree that Miss Moore came to teach the kids about different positions in life and the unfair sides it brings.