Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” is a short story that provides insight into the lives of poor urban children. Miss Moore, a black American woman with a university education, takes a group of kids to FAO Schwartz, a toy store known for its outrageously priced items. She hopes to impart knowledge on them regarding racial inequality in the United States, the value of frugality, and the distinctions between social strata. Sylvia, Sugar, and Mercedes all have very different times at the toy store throughout the story. The high prices and the realization that they can’t buy anything shock them. Sylvia is infuriated and embarrassed by her realization that she is out of place. Sugar’s perspective shifts and she begins to constantly make comparisons to items she has seen in the supermarket. The other kids often look down on Mercedes, the rich kid, because she has access to more affluent peers’ luxury items. The author draws attention to the issue of economic disparity by concentrating on the various levels of wealth possessed by the people in the story. The events of this narrative illustrate how a childhood spent in poverty may skew a person’s viewpoint to the point that they do not appreciate the things that they do have. The children were stimulated to think critically and given exposure to a more expansive world as part of Miss Moore’s approach to guiding them. A significant takeaway from this narrative is the devastating impact that poverty can have on a person’s life, as well as the transformational potential of receiving an education.
Daily Archives: February 15, 2023
The first character I picked was the main character, whose name I believe is Sylvia; her reaction to the experience of visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store was first embarrassment and ashamed, but by the end, it had transformed into a type of motivation for her. I say this because when she approached the toy store, she felt ashamed and pitiful as she proceeded to open the door. I believe she felt this way because of her upbringing; her views of some things were already tampered with by what her family could afford. But, in the end, she states, “I ain’t going to let anyone beat me at nothing,” which, in my opinion, suggests that she will do whatever it takes to achieve in life. Sugar, the second character I picked, had a similar reaction to her cousin Sylvia’s to the experience of visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store, but she was more receptive to the lesson that was being given. I say this because she had the same feelings as Sylvia when they first entered the toy store, which were embarrassment, shame, and pity, but when they returned home and Ms.Moore asked what she thought of the toy store, she was honest and admitted that none of their families could afford to eat as much as the price of the toy sailboat. She viewed this as a sign that having an equal likelihood of happiness means having an equal chance of making money and living as well as the wealthy.
Gabriel García Márquez’s “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” is a short story that tells the tale of a drowned man floating ashore. The arrival of a dead body to the shores of the village changes everything. The man, whom the villagers name Esteban, is remarkably tall and amazingly handsome that everybody in the village start to essentially fall in love with him, giving him religious respect, and accepting him into their families. In the end, they dump his body into the sea but leave it there hoping that Esteban will float back one day. They swear to change the village into the sort of place that is worthy of Esteban. The villagers seem sympathetic and compassionate on how they treat Esteban which is noticeable by the way they treat him. It is like the villager’s desire to bury him with dignity, something that he might not have had when he was still breathing because of his size and the way he looks is so much different than others. The man ‘s death made them realize that no one is without pain and without sorrow. The villagers changed because they wanted to memorialize him by painting their houses a grey color to honor him. This story makes me think that we do not know what one is going through and should not judge one another.
