.Two characters that stood out to me was specifically Sylvia and Mercedes. The comparison between these two characters are completely different in how they act towards the lesson Miss Moore is trying to teach these group of kids on a trip to the toy store. Miss Moore is attempting to show these young kids the economic and social impacts on prices and the economic system issues generally. Mercedes is the only child who is different from the rest. The others kids truly come from and know what it’s like to not have rich privileges or rich things. However, Mercedes is well familiar and expresses that throughout the story. She seems to be proper and unbothered or unshocked by the pricing of the toys and does not show she has learned anything from Miss Moore’s lesson in the end. Sylvia is quite the opposite. She is well aware of the lesson that is trying to be given by Miss Moore. In fact she is more angry throughout this trip and she shows her hatred and attitude toward Miss Moore any chance she can get. She fights and battles with Sugar over which toy they want. Sylvia does not want to give in to Miss Moore’s lesson and what she is trying to show these kids from this trip. However, Sugar betrays her friend by agreeing with Miss Moore and showing her true potential by not letting Sylvia take control of her.
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One thought on “Celine Ghany Discussion 4”
This was another angle I did not see. I took Mercedes demeanor as understanding the lesson Ms. Moore is giving, but she just goes about it differently. I think Mercedes and Ms. Moore are on the same page – do better to be better. Mercedes, too, is impoverished, but perhaps her family raises her to carry herself as if she IS someone. Ms. Moore does not seem ashamed of her background and upbringings, but is trying to show the youth they can be better and to want better.
I also think the characteristics of Mercedes and Sylvia are highlighted through their home life. From the context, it appears Mercedes has a more structured home life; two-parent household, her own space to do homework and concentrate, a “village” so to speak, actually raising her (the mentioning of a godmother providing stationery). On the other hand, Sylvia’s family unit is more disorganized. There is no mention of both of her parents, and the piece alluded to her mother, along with Sugar’s and JuneBug’s hanging out constantly while one aunt, the one who is gullible, just watches all the kids. There doesn’t seem to be structure in Sylvia or Sugar’s life, which is apparent in Sugar’s serious inquiry if they could steal. They seem to have to survive by any means necessary, and Mercedes does not.