In the story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, children were being taught more about brutal reality of inequality. Sylvia, a woman of color, doesn’t even have enough cash to afford toys. Not everybody can afford the toys at FAO Schwarz, and yet a relatively wealthy kid in the group named Mercedes is frequently judged for having things they can’t control. Sylvia could not even afford the toys she desired, so even though Mercedes could. The author acknowledged the problems of inequality by incorporating their financial differences. “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). In my opinion why would someone take kids and show them stuff they aren’t suppose to be learning ? I also believe that Slyvia was frustrated enough because she did not have the money that others may have to afford what others can.
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3 thoughts on “Viridiana Rivera Discussion 4”
Hi Viridiana,
Sylvia is resistant to the experience of visiting the toy store because she is uneasy with the grandeur and richness, but Sugar is more responsive and open to the experience. Sugar, on the other hand, is a more reserved and modest individual who appears to be more open to the experience of visiting the toy store. As the story progresses, both individuals get a better grasp of their society’s economic inequities, but their reactions to the experience of visiting the toy store are extremely different.
Hi Viridiana,
The purpose of the trip was to make the kids understand the unfairness and harsh economic inequality in the country. Where they are supposed to realize the value of money and learn something else other than mathematics and science. These differences affect children development and affect them in different ways, she wanted them to have an understanding of a real life situation and I think using real-world examples makes it more effective and meaningful to the students.
Viridiana, please make sure your posts address the prompt given. This was supposed to be a character analysis.