In the story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, the two characters that caught my attention were Sylvia and Mercedes. The story begins by illustrating a group of students who are going to be taken on an eye-opening trip to FAO Schwarz, a toy store, with the purpose of showing them and teaching them about economic inequality. Throughout the story, one can appreciate how economic inequality affects children and their development and also can see how they act after they see the expensive toys at the store. Sylvia was a low-income kid from Harlem. She was so disrespectful and expressed her anger verbally attacking Ms. Moore because of her proper behavior. At the end of the story, she realized the lesson Ms. Moore tried to teach them and becomes more reserved and well behaved as this lesson changed her life perspective and she kept thinking about the inequality and unfairness of how money is divided in America, while one has plenty of money, other families suffer. Mercedes, unlike the other kids, was wealthier, well-spoken and open minded. The kids used to make jokes and mock her because of that every time she talks about her family’s money. At the end of the story, she doesn’t seem to get the message at all, she values things based on their price.
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One thought on “Lorianny Neris, Week 4 Discussion”
Hi Lorianny, I totally agree with you because It’s interesting how Sylvia and Mercedes represent two different sides of the economic divide, with Sylvia coming from a low-income background and Mercedes coming from a wealthier family. It shows how economic inequality affects children’s perceptions of themselves and others. While Sylvia is initially resistant to the lesson, she eventually understands its importance and changes her perspective, whereas Mercedes seems to remain blinded by her privilege and materialistic values. The story is a powerful commentary on the ways in which economic inequality shapes our experiences and attitudes.