After reading the story “The Lesson”, I noticed that the main characters, Sylvia and Sugar, have a change in how they see things and the people around them after a visit to a toy store with Miss Moore. Both Sylvia and Sugar are children growing up in the commonwealth and have limitations in how they view things. They also view the people around them with contempt, as living in the slums has distorted their worldview. After going to the toy store, they find that the price of one toy is enough to buy furniture for their whole family. They begin to think about what kind of world this is, something they never knew before. This is exactly why Miss Moore brings them to the toy store. After they came back from the toy store, they kept thinking about it too.
Daily Archives: February 14, 2023
In the story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, a group of kids are taught the harsh reality of inequality. Sylvia, a person of color, does not have the financial stability to purchase toys. Not like everyone could afford the toys at the FAO Schwarz toy store, but a wealthier kid in the group named Mercedes is often judged for having things they don’t have. Sylvia could not afford the toys she wanted, while Mercedes could buy anything. The author used their financial differences to identify the issue known as inequality. In the text it states, “So we heading down the street and she’s boring us silly about what things cost and what our parents make and how much goes for rent and how money ain’t divided up right in this country.” (Bambara 2). Furthermore, the wealth in society divides people that are rich or poor, so both groups may view each other differently and not be seemed as equal. Rich people would buy more pricey things, but the poor could make the most of anything they purchase.
