Week 4 Discussion

The reading “Salvation” by Langston Hughes  had the most meaning for me because it deeply connected with me due to its powerful description of of the conflict between faith and personal experiences, the part that connected me was when  when the young boys prayers go unanswered, it reminded me times when I prayed for alot of things and those prayers were never answered at that time and had a caused me to doubt on my belief in good and religion, However as time passed thats when reality hit me that every prayer that is not being answered at that moment is in the betterment for myself  and things do no go as planned, God has better plans for us. The reading “Oedipus the King was the my least favorite reading in this semester because in the start of the play it focused on  the background and setting, which felt slightly slow-paced and less attracting as compared to the later events, The play was difficult to understand which made it challenging to follow and connect with the characters on an emotional  and deeper level.

When they arrive at the apartment building, Miss Moore asks the children what they thought of FAO Schwartz.After visiting this toy store,  the children’s view of the world is changed especially for Sylvia. Sylvia is a rebellious, opinionated young woman who wants control of her own life. She learns that the world she lives is un fair because not everyone is seen as equal. She learns that inequality exists and its happening to her. Throughout the short story Sylvia Portrayed as tough hard-shelled individual.Sugar’s journey over the course of the story seems to parallel Sylvia’s, as they both learn to recognize the wealth inequality in their society. But while Sylvia is unable to effectively understand and vocalize her feelings due to her anger, Sugar is able to learn from Miss Moore’s lesson without feelings of resentment. This difference leads to a change in Sylvia, as she has to deal with a new gap in understanding between her and Sugar.

The two characters that had different reactions to FAO Shwartz would be the narrator and Mercedes. The narrator demonstrated the reality for poor kids growing up with his survival mindset. For example, the narrator lists all of the different uses for thirty-five dollars, and they are all related to providing for the home. For instance, he acknowledges that “thirty-five dollars could buy new bunk beds…pay for the rent and the piano bill too” (Bambara 6). It is common for children that are poor to miss out on experiences that other children would have and instead learn responsibility and how to survive on “making ends meet”. This prevents the narrator from seeing the fun and entertainment behind toys and instead he uses his logic based on wants and needs. Mercedes on the other hand shows her connection to childhood by having hope that she would get her toys with her birthday money. This reveals her desire and hope to be like other kids regardless of money and economic status which highlights her connection to being a child.

Two students that I picked after reading “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara” were Sugar and Rosie. Both of the girls had some mix feeling after visiting the Fao Schwarz toy store. Rosie has hopes that someday she will be able to go and visit the store again and actually buy something. Sugar comes to the realization to see the difference in income level. The money that one family of six could be used to be supported, was getting spent on a toy boat by another family. Both of their response are similar as they both target the wage gap between lower and middle to upper class. Rosie sees a light at the end of the tunnel where she’ll get to this level one day, and Sugar see the struggle it takes to even build up to that kind of level.

  The two characters I picked from “The lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara are Sugar and Sylvia. In this story, a well-educated woman named Miss Moore has taken it upon herself to expose the unappreciative children of the neighborhood to the world outside of their broken-down community. The location where the central part of the story takes place is the FAO Schwarz Toy Store in Manhattan.  Slyvia, the Black narrator, and her younger cousin Sugar are roped into accompanying Miss Moore on an educational day trip. Slyvia and Sugar dislike Miss Moore because of her “proper” way of speech and her preaches about the value of money but  Sylvia would much rather spend the day at the pool or the movies where she and Sugar can “terrorize the West Indian Kids and take their hair ribbons and their money too. When the group arrived at Fifth Avenue the children begin to look through the windows at the toys on display. They’re astonished by both the high price tags and the items themselves: Big Butt wishes he could afford a $300 telescope, and all of the children are shocked by a $480 paperweight. The kids are particularly fascinated by a toy sailboat that costs $1,195, and they wonder why any parents would ever spend that much money on a toy when it would be so fragile, and they could just make their own toy boat for cheaper. Eventually, Miss Moore suggests that they go into the store. Sylvia and Sugar lead the way, but both of them feel suddenly anxious and ashamed as they get to the front door. Sylvia remembers feeling the same way when she and Sugar snuck into a Catholic Church—they were going to pull a prank on the parishioners, but Sylvia couldn’t go through with it

In the short story ‘‘The Lesson’’ by Toni Cade Bambara is about a group of children living in a poor area of New York City who are taken on a trip to a wealthy neighborhood. The two main figures I chose are Miss Moore, a highly educated local teacher, and Sylvia, a pupil on summer holiday. The main character immediately describes her crowded, scarcely populated neighborhood. As the narrative goes on, Miss Moore concludes that it would be best for the kids to purchase gifts in a more affluent area. Most adults in the city of F.A.O. Schwartz pay for their own accommodation, but most children reside in government-subsidized housing. Like a woman wearing a mink coat in the summer, Sylvia immediately observes the stark socioeconomic differences between affluent White people and disadvantaged Black people. Sylvia receives four dollars from Miss Moore at the end of the tour, which she saves for herself. Although it’s conceivable that some will assume Sylvia is stealing the cash from Miss Moore, I think is more likely that she has just lately learned the value of money. This is clear because from the fact that she had no idea how much money she had before heading to the toy store, particularly when she was in the cab. Sylvia had stolen Miss Moore’s four dollars, but she had also learned a valuable lesson. Miss Moore decides to teach the kids about their living situations and how they should work to change how other people view them. Sylvia, a student, learned a lot from stealing to learning a moral even how vast the differences are, they can still prove their worth in the future. This is something that happens throughout the entire novel. The business, in Miss Moore’s opinion, will impart valuable lessons to the children […]

The 2 characters I chose are Sylvia and sugar. When they first approached the store you can tell a shift in both of their attitudes. Sugar attitude was more eager and cherry and obviously more excited. As for Sylvia she’s not so eager at all if anything she had a attitude the moment they got there. When they entered the place Sylvia instantly outta place and out of her element. Which is understandable because of where and how she grew up, this is all foreign to her. Sugar on the other hand is the complete opposite, she’s absorbing everything and living in the moment. She’s just excited to be there and even though she knows she can’t afford anything she stills admire the toys and everything around her. I understand why Sylvia is upset. Growing unfortunate and seeing everything you wish you can get but can’t get it due to financial problems

The two characters I chose are Sylvia and Sugar. When they first approach the store, FAO Schwarz, I feel like although Sugar is more eager and open to visiting, Sylvia kind of has a nasty attitude about it. When they enter, Sylvia instantly feels like she does not belong there, because of her background and where/how she grew up. Sugar seems to be enjoying the experience and taking it all in. She’s grateful that she can be there. She admires the toys, even though she knows that she cannot afford the toys there, she’s having a good time just looking around/window shopping. I can understand why Sylvia felt the way she did. As a kid, it must be tough wanting all these things but not being able to have access to them due to financial reasons. These kids must see other kids in the store buying the toys and it’s understandable to feel a certain type of way about it.

I choose Sylvia and Sugar. In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, we get to see when someone “less fortunate” sort of experiences a “more fortunate” person’s toy store or shopping day. At first, all the kids would bunch up at the window of the store to see the price tags when they saw something they were interested in. Then when it came time to go into the store, Sylvia and Sugar both felt like maybe they didn’t belong in that store. On page 5 of the text it states, “Only she don’t lead the way. So me and Sugar turn the corner to where the entrance is, but when we get there I kinda hang back. Not that I’m scared, what’s there to be afraid of, just a toy store. But I feel funny, shame. But what I got to be shamed about? Got as much right to go in as anybody. But somehow I can’t seem to get hold of the door, so I step away from Sugar to lead. But she hangs back too.” Based on this story, I could tell that Sylvia is usually not ashamed of her money or where she comes from. But here, I see how she felt intimidated to go into the store where she could not afford anything. It must have been so tempting, so aggravating, having to walk around the store seeing everything and not being able to have it. And seeing everyone, the type of people who can afford these things, buying whatever they wanted. This brings me to Sugar. Sugar and Sylvia are very similar. What stood out to me though, was Sugar’s response to what she thought about the toy store. “Sugar surprises me by sayin, ‘You know, Miss Moore, I don’t think all of us here […]

Sylvia and Sugar are the two characters in Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” who have opposing reactions to visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store. Sylvia is the story’s protagonist, and she approaches the toy store with a sour attitude at first, but Sugar is more open to the experience and exhibits delight. Sylvia is a streetwise, self-assured young girl from the slums who is first reluctant to Miss Moore’s efforts to educate her and her pals. As the party goes to the toy store, Sylvia is instantly turned off by the store’s grandeur and rich environment, which she views as being in striking contrast to her own circumstances. She feels awkward and out of place, and her annoyance rises when Miss Moore questions them about the excessive costs of the toys. 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. She is initially taken aback by the toy store and the wide range of toys on display. Sugar, unlike Sylvia, does not appear to be uncomfortable or out of place, and she admires the costly toys on display without feeling guilty of her own lack of access to them.

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.

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia and Miss Moore have distinct responses to visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store. Sylvia is a streetwise and cynical girl from the ghetto who is initially unimpressed by the lavish store. She dismisses the toys as overpriced and unnecessary and resents Miss Moore for bringing her and her friends to the store. Sylvia is resistant to the lesson on social inequality that Miss Moore is trying to teach and feels that it is patronizing and unfair. Throughout the story, Sylvia’s defiance and skepticism towards Miss Moore’s lesson intensify. Miss Moore is a socially conscious and empathetic adult who recognizes the stark contrast between the luxury of the toy store and the poverty of the children’s home environment. She sees the visit as an opportunity to expose the children to a different world and to open their eyes to the injustices of society. Miss Moore hopes that the experience will encourage the children to think critically about the distribution of wealth and resources. She tries to impart this perspective to the children, but her efforts are met with resistance from Sylvia. Overall, Sylvia and Miss Moore have different responses to the visit to the toy store. While Sylvia is dismissive and resistant, Miss Moore is empathetic and socially conscious, hoping to use the experience as a teaching tool for the children.

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara there are two characters that caught my eye. The two main characters Sylvia and Sugar.  The story is about a girl named Sylvia and her friends who live in a poor area but are taken on a school trip to a toy store in a rich area called “FAO Schwarz Toy Store” by a woman named Ms.Moore who wants to teach them about social inequality. Sylvia, the main character is originally skeptical and suspicious of going to the toy store with Ms,moore and her friends.  She was skeptical on Ms.moore and doesn’t care about the expensive displays and toys that are for sight, She sees all of these customers who are spending a lot and making expensive and extravagant purchases. The way she acts and thinks throughout all of this is resentfulness and emotional because the toys she sees are out of her reach. she sees how difference in compared to her shopping and the people she sees shopping. Sugar on the other hand has a more fun, positive experience on the field trip. She is very admirable on the large expensive sailboat and wants to buy it regardless of the price. Sugars response to the store was in awe. in conclusion, the two character expressed two very different feelings int eh same scenario. both of their reactions mark the majority of social and economic dilemmas that exist in society  

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. 

“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara is a short story that portrays and discusses the social issue of inequality in America. Throughout the short story, Bambara focuses on teaching and showing inequality by portraying how characters relate in an improvised neighborhood. To better understand how Bambara achieves to get her theme home to the audience, comparing the experience of Miss Moore and Sugar when they visited the toy store will be vital to enhance how the theme of inequality is arrived at. Miss Moore is presented as a woman well-educated with a college degree and perceived of a higher status in the neighborhood (Bambara, 1972 pp. 1). She is aware of the community’s inequalities as she acknowledges that money is not equally distributed in America (Bambara, 1972, pp. 2). However, she sees the trip to the toy store with the children as an opportunity to expose them to a world different from their neighborhood. By encouraging them to calculate the cost of the toys they are interested in and compare them to the limited resources of their family, Miss Moore hopes the children will understand some people exist with such potential and see the inequality that exists. Conversely, Sugar is a young girl from an improvised neighborhood who is impressed by the toy store’s products, costs, and elegant wealth. However, she is later disappointed and frustrated since she cannot afford to purchase one and asks if they can steal (Bambara, 1972 pp. 2). Sugar is also perplexed with what some individuals could spend on toys alone that could feed a certain family of seven(Bambara, 1972 pp. 6). In summary, the conduct and experience portrayed by Miss Moore and Sugar reflect the social and economic inequality that people encounter daily on the grass root. The author exposes the gap between those […]

The two characters I pick are Mercedes and Sugar these characters both had two very different experiences at the high end toy store. In the story Sugar seems like a mischievous young child mostly following her friends lead I even think Sugar and her friend thought about stealing from the Toy Store when they first arrived they were probably joking i dont know.  Mercedes acted different from Sugar and her friend Mercedes acted more conceited than her peers and acted like her father would buy her anything she wanted this made her unpopular with Sugar and her friends. The Characters in this story was mostly poor coming from the working class in society Miss Moore was trying to open their eyes on money because Miss Moore thought that working class people should want more of the “pie”. At the start of the story Sugar and her friend was eager to buy or obtain everything in the store until they seen the expensive price tag which led them into a Miss Moore lecture with the store clerk. While Mercedes entered the store window shopping while also bragging to her friends that her father could afford her anything she could want in the store that quickly made the other children not like her and they tried their best to shut her up quickly.

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, the two characters that i would compare are Sylvia and Miss Moore on visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store because Sylvia is from a poor family and a neighborhood that has low income, she is excited to visit the store but when she sees the high prices she becomes distressful on the prices of the toys and their value and on the fact that neither her or her friends can afford a single toy from the store. After visiting the store she realizes  the fact that how much discrimination exists in the society and she cannot do anything about it.Sylvia does show signs of frustration and stress and is not interested in listening to Miss Moores lesson about economic inequality. On the other hand Miss Moore is a college educated women, who want to empower kids so takes them on a trip to visit the toy store because she thinks that the children should be aware of the privileges that exist in the society and want. the children to realize  the economic issues and  inequality issues that they are facing. So while comparing Sylvia and Miss Moore we can see that Sylvia is frustrated with the fact that she cannot buy any thing from the store while  Miss Moore is trying to educated the children to think critically about the world around them.

The two characters from “The Lesson” I’ll be comparing their response to the experience of the FAO Schwarz toy store is Sylvia and Mercedes. Sylvia was taken out of her comfort zone, the ghetto, to get a first look at what the different experiences in the upper class could feel like. Sylvia seems to be a kid that speaks her mind with no apology behind it. Sylvia was exposed to how minorities and the more privileged were treated, which was unfair and unequal. An example from the story states that Ms. Moore expresses how money isn’t divided equally in this country. And I agree with her statement from centuries ago and still today, minorities, especially women and women with children, are underpaid. It also goes by where you live; some women barely make the minimum wage and make ends meet for their families. Sylvia questioned, “who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and $1000 for a toy sailboat? What kind of work do they do and how do they live, and how come we aren’t in it? Once the community you are living in is underdeveloped immediately, you are looked at differently. You are paid the same way and looked at the same. The trip Sylvia was experiencing could be a learning lesson for her and her friends, for them to take their schoolwork seriously and attend college to have some degree so that people don’t look down on her because she is from the ghetto. After all, it’s not where you’re from; it’s where you’re going. Sylvia’s demeanor and outspokenness can be a future advocate for her community. Sylvia has the power to lead her destination if she takes all the pieces of advice she got from Ms. Moore. Mercedes didn’t feel how the other […]

In the story “The Lesson” By Toni Cade Bambara, a group of kids take a trip to the toy store with Miss Moore, their adult supervisor. On their way to the store, Miss Moore is lecturing them about life as usual, and just like every other lesson Miss Moore tries to drill in their heads, it goes through one ear and out the other, especially Sugar and Sylvia. When they get to the toy store, they window shop and marvel at the expensive toys until they lay their eyes on the $1000 toy boat. At this point, their astonishment turns into confusion. They ask who even purchases these toys when there are cheaper alternatives. Sugar starts to compare the price of the toy to how much her family spends on food and realizes it’s not even close to the price of a meaningless toy. Sylvia is almost uncomfortable with this harsh truth as she tries everything in her power to stop the discourse between Sugar and Miss Moore. Earlier that day Miss Moore tried to tell the kids about how the current state of the economy makes it unfair for people like them to get ahead, and since Sylvia dislikes Miss Moore, she hates the fact that a lesson is actually starting to resonate with her when she initially disagreed with her theories, but sugar was more understanding.

This story directs a deeper meaning in regards to inequality and how minorities may experience the same situation differently. Ms. Moore brings the children into the toy store and begins to look around. However, the main two characters in focus would be Sugar and Mercedes because of the fact of how different yet similar they can be at times throughout the story. Ms. Moore took the children to the toy store to show how different socioeconomic and financial factors can alter the experience for someone, most vulnerable being children who grew up not having too much. For instance, as stated in the story, it states, ” “This is the place, “ Miss Moore say, “Can we steal?” Sugar asks very serious like she’s getting the ground rules squared away before she plays. “This quote portrays the sense that Sugar wasn’t brought up with too much money and her family came from the struggle. The text emphasis “serious like” to illustrate to readers on how significantly she wanted a toy that she would just maybe steal one instead if she didn’t have enough money. On the other hand however, Mercedes experience in the toy store is a little different than rest of the pother children. She doesn’t seem to mind the prices too much when looking at them compared to the other children. For example, it states, ““I don’t even have a desk,” say Junebug. “Do we?” .“And I don’t even have a home,” says Flyboy. “I do,” says Mercedes. “I have a box of stationery on my desk and a picture of my cat. My god- mother bought the stationery and the desk. There’s a big rose on each sheet and the envelopes smell like roses”. This quote shows readers on how Mercedes was more fortunate then the re3st of […]

.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.

Ms. Moore’s decision to bring the eight children in this story to an expensive toy store, in what seems to be a predominantly white neighborhood, is made in an effort to showcase the inequality that exists in the United States’ economy, and each child reacts to this trip differently. Although Sugar and Sylvia seem to be most alike in their mischief and mannerisms, they have opposite reactions to being inside the store and seeing some of the prices on the displayed items. Prior to entering the store, the two are in alliance in terms of behavior, “‘Can we steal?’ Sugar asks very serious like she’s getting the ground rules squared away before she plays. ‘I beg your pardon,’ say Miss Moore, and we fall out. ” They are both hesitant to enter the store, feeling as if they don’t belong, yet as they enter the store, their behavior changes. Sugar becomes intrigued by the items, which angers Sylvia, “We just stare at that price tag. Then Sugar run a finger over the whole boat. And I’m jealous and want to hit her. Maybe not her, but I sure want to punch somebody in the mouth.” It’s clear Sylvia is doing everything in her power to preserve her tough persona while Sugar is showing an actual interest in what Ms. Moore is attempting to show them. Sylvia is angered by this trip, likely unconsciously trying to avoid coming to terms with the truth these price tags are teaching the children. When they return to their neighborhood, Ms. Moore asks what the children thought of their trip to the store and the implied but very clear differences in economic status and Sugar responds, to Sylvia’s dismay, by saying,” ‘I think,’ say Sugar pushing me off her feet like she never done before […]

The first character from “The Lesson” I pick is Miss Moore. I believe she wanted to teach the kids that it’s so much more in this world then what they have Seen. she wants them to know they are just as important as every other kid that shopping in that toy store. The kids might have to work harder but it is something that can happen. I believe that experience taught them to respect each other and other people more and take live more seriously. I can relate to the kids in a way because I use to do things and make fun of people for having or doing things I couldn’t have because it made me feel better. Until I had seen more and started experiencing more. Now I respect people who have and don’t have. The second character from “The Lesson” I picked is Mercedes. I picked her because of her confidence going in the store knowing she didn’t have no money to get anything from the store, but she felt like she belonged there. She walked down the aisle proud and looking around. She was proud to speak about her cat and desk letting the kids know that regardless of where she’s at she worth the same as the stuff in the store.

“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara was a very interesting read. The group of children went on an outing with Miss Moore to F. A. O. Schwarz, an expensive toy store, that had plenty of things most of them couldn’t afford. Miss Moore showed them expensive toys and it seemed as though she was pulling reactions out of all of them and seeing how they all felt about the prices of everything. Sylvia and Sugar were different, yet the same in the way they reacted to the whole outing. Sugar shared her insight being that she was a more outspoken and opinionated child, while Sylvia didn’t seem to want to say much. Sylvia appeared to be getting frustrated about everything, and even more so when Sugar decided to speak out. In the text, Sugar seems to speak on how she feels about the price of the sailboat, “Then Sugar surprises me by sayin, “You know, Miss Moore, I don’t think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs.” And Miss Moore lights up like somebody goosed her.” I assume this angered Sylvia because she felt like it was disrespectful to them. I think Sylvia knew what the problem was, but didn’t want to admit it. I feel like she was in denial and did not want to talk about the issue.  

The two characters from “The Lesson” whose responses to the FAO Schwarz visit I find the most interesting to compare are Sylvia and Sugar. They both become aware of racial inequality, but Sylvia is more affected and angry by this realization. Before Miss Moore asks the group what they think of FAO Schwarz, Sylvia is thinking about the $35 toy clown on the train going back uptown. During this inner dialogue, she is questioning why certain people are able to afford these expensive toys while other people are not able to. She asks what kind of work they do, pointing out that other people are given different opportunities than people in her community. When the group returns and Miss Moore asks the children what they think of FAO Schwarz, Sugar replies with insightful opinions, which upsets Sylvia. Sugar is stating ideas that emphasis the thoughts Sylvia was having on the train about equality and how everyone should be able to attain the same opportunities. Sylvia feels betrayed by Sugar answering Miss Moore and siding with her in a sense. I believe Sylvia is not only mad about Sugar speaking up, but she must also be so upset comprehending this unfair truth that exists in this country. On the other hand, Sugar does not seem too negatively affected by it. When they leave, Sugar is ready for the next fun activity while Sylvia must be alone to contemplate the day.

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.  

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.  

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.

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.

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara we see that each character had their own experience when visiting the FAO Schwarz toy store. Sylvia is a young black girl growing up in Harlem with her cousin Sugar and the rest of her family. Miss Moore, a well-educated woman who wants builds a community and educate the youngsters that live in Harlem neighborhood. Miss Moore took these young kids on a little trip to show them the world outside their restricted society.  FAO Schwarz Toy Store in Manhattan, known for its astronomically priced toys. Miss Moore uses her journey to the toy store to educate the young kids on how black Americans are denied equal opportunity to profit from the economy and society. Sylvia feels both anger and shame in the F. A. O. Schwartz toy store on Fifth Avenue because she knows she does not belong and cannot afford the toys there. Sylvia feels anger while visiting the F. A. O. Schwartz store because she realizes she can’t afford any of the toys on display. 

This story “The Lesson” gives a glimpse into the mind of a child growing up in the ghettos of the inner city. The narrator, Sylvia and her peers are taken on a trip to F.A.O Schwartz by Miss Moore. Miss Moore seems to be kind of a mentor to the children in the story. She is described as a college educated black American woman. She has a sense of obligation and duty to expose the children to the differences in class and society. Sylvia points out every detail of Miss Moore, from her hair, the way she speaks, even the way the parents react to her. I think Miss Moore being the opposite of what Sylvia is used to elicits her negative feelings towards her. I detect a great amount of destain from Sylvia towards Miss Moore. It’s as if Miss Moore’s way of mentoring gets under Sylvia’s skin. I believe Miss Moore does this knowingly to provoke thought. This is the set up of the day described in the story. Something that really stood out to me in the story was the power dynamic in the group of peers. Sylvia though young, seemed to be very opinionated and head strong. I view her as a leader in this group. It seems as if Miss Moore pointing out the glaring inequalities they all experienced, was a threat. This is highlighted when Sugar was intrigued by Miss Moores lesson. Sylvia immediately attempted to stop her from engaging with Miss Moore. After the day was concluded, Sylvia did get the lesson that was intended, thought she never admitted it to Miss Moore. She considers a toy clown that costs $35.00, and ends up questioning who are these people that shop here. I believe the job Miss Moore set out to do was […]

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara both Qt and sugar both have a different experience when visiting the toy store and reflect on it. with sugar after they saw a toy in the store they started seeing things different and referring to a lot of things to what  seen as the toy they have seen when at the book store. With Qt they as well felt different when going to the toy store and answering something correctly when ask by miss Moore. They then go Back to the mailbox and now have a different thought. i feel that Miss Moore wanted to tech these kids a lesson about the type of world they are living in and show them whats wrong and what’s right. They also learn about what it takes to save and spend money and how much they can save by just not spending and how it can 100% make a difference in life.