Alvin Tan Discussion 4

The two characters I choose from “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara are Mercedes and Sugar. Mercedes is the only one of the eight children that doesn’t seem fazed by the insane prices at the toy store. She barely even talked when visiting the toy store that I forgot she was a character until she finally said something. When she did start talking it was to join the conversation about the paperweight and desks and unlike the other children she has a desk and stationery. When entering the store she is the only one able to walk into the store and act normal. After the day is over and everyone is asked what they thought about the store she is the only one who actually wanted to go back to buy something. Sugar’s experience is different as she went from a child who would yell about wanting this and that. She then like the other children was surprised about how expensive everything was and felt out of place when in the store. When asked about her experience only her and the narrator Sylvia understood what exactly Miss Moore wanted to teach them about inequality.