It seems that Sugar and Sylvia are having an almost identical experience discovering F.A.O. Schwartz. At first, when looking in the storefront window, they are loud and silly and excited about the fancy toys. Then, when it is time to enter the store, they both became shy and insecure. Once they are inside, they are still unsure of themselves and clumsily bump into each other. The author notes that the girls would have usually found this funny, but they are too stunned by the prices of the toys in the store. At this point, Sugar and Sylvia start to respond differently. Sugar, fascinated with an incredibly expensive sailboat, begins touching it, which makes Sylvia very upset. The author shows anger building steadily inside Sylvia, and she tries not to acknowledge it. Sylvia seems as though she is somewhat aware of the inequality that exists and resents it being brought to her attention. Sugar, on the other hand, seems as though she is just starting to see it for the first time. When Sugar finally speaks about the unfairness out loud, Sylvia Is “disgusted with Sugar’s treachery” and walks off. When Sugar catches up to Sylvia, she is excited about going on a little spree with the four dollars they have, whereas Sylvia finally decides to think about what she learned and resolves to face the challenges ahead.
Daily Archives: February 17, 2022
In the short story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, the narrator gives the reader insight into children who grew up in poverty and how their perspective changes when traveling to an expensive toy store. In the beginning, the narrator Sylvia is a smart, rebellious child who doesn’t like Miss Moore because of her proper speech. Sylvia refuses to listen to anyone but herself because she’s big on independence.When Miss Moore brings Sylvia to the toy store she hesitates to walk in .“So I and Sugar turn the corner where the entrance is, but when we got there I kinda hung back”. Sylvia and Sugar were uncomfortable being in a new environment. Sylvia started questioning the prices of the toys and realized that amount of money could buy her family more things. Sylvia tried to make the other children misbehave but they were more interested in the $1000 toys which made her mad. When Sylvia arrives home she reflects on her day after learning about economic inequality. Sylvia refused to accept that Miss More had taught them an important lesson about social class and where they stand in society from other who could afford those expensive toys. Miss Moore was described as this serious educated woman, who teaches children in Harlem. She and a group of students went on a trip to Fifth Ave. Most of the students did not like Ms.Moore in the beginning. One student that popped out to her was Sylvia and they both did not get along. When they arrive at the toy store Miss More questions the students on “What things cost and what their parents make and how money ain’t divided right in this country”. The students believed she was doing this in a way to be funny. Ms Moore uses this method to […]
In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson,” the narrator provides insight into a child’s knowledge of his or her own poverty through several people. Mercedes, who comes from a somewhat more fortunate family, symbolizes a socioeconomic stratum in whom hope is not a luxury. For her, the situation is less vexing because, as revealed by her reactions, her financial circumstances are marginally better than those of the other characters. It is insufficient to evict her from their neighborhood, but it has a significant effect on how she views her own poverty and her chances of receiving a toy from FAO Schwarz. Sylvia, the narrator, is less positive. She is a bright young lady who is quick on her feet and appears to have a very realistic view on life. That said, the happiness of not having the most painful aspects of reality thrust in one’s face is always sweet, which is why she is somewhat fed up with the forced reality check that visiting the toy store represents for her. She is enraged at everything and everyone because, more than any of her pals, she understands the unfairness of it all. Being confronted with such disadvantages in life is a tremendous burden to bear at the age of 12.
“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara is about Miss Moore taking children on a trip to the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store. The children live in poverty. This was an expensive toy store and she wanted to see the outcome of the children’s view on it. Mercedes had a different approach and view on the store. When asked what she thought about it, she said she would want to return with her birthday money (Bambara). From the text, I can tell that she enjoyed it because when the other kids were not ready to go in, she squeezed in between them to go first. She had a few smart remarks like asking if the other child’s boat runs with water and that she has a stationary desk from her godmother. The readers can tell that she does not suffer from poverty like the other kids since she is able to return to the store and has things that the other children do not. On the other hand, Sylvia is the complete opposite. When seeing the clown toy that goes for $35, she thought of the things that her family can do with that much. “Thirty-five dollars and the whole household could go visit Grand-daddy Nelson in the country. Thirty-five dollars would pay for the rent and the piano bill to” (Bambara). She was stunned that people can spend so much money on toys when there are people in poverty that would use that money for more helpful things. She feels like it is not right that people are able to do that when her family and the others are struggling.
In “The Lesson” the children are all being taught by MS. Moore. Ms. Moore especially likes to make sure Sylvia is taught because she can tell that she is the leader of her little group and can influence the others. Sugar ends up being the one to answer Ms. Moore’s question about the F.A.O Schwarz store. Sylvia ends up trying to shut her up twice to make sure she don’t answer Ms. Moore because Sylvia cannot bare to give Ms. Moore the satisfaction of winning. Sylvia is too stubborn to admit what they all already know which is the economic inequity they all face. Sugar and Sylvia differ in the way that Sugar doesn’t see Ms. Moore as someone that she should defy while Sylvia will take any chance to defy her because Sylvia is prideful and won’t let no one “win” against her. Sugar on the other hand doesn’t mind and tries to at least think for herself. The girls are the same in the way that they both might think the same on some level and actually are smart enough to learn the lessons being taught by Ms. Moore.
After I read the short story “The Most Handsomest Drown Man” I think that you assigned this reading as the first story in this course to establish the tone of this course. I feel like now that we have been exposed to this new type of literature known as magical realism, there will be more readings that have a very similar feel to this one. While reading the short story, I noticed the sudden impact on the village made by the appearance of the drowned man. This impact was even more prevalent among the women of the village, as to the men of the village, the women seemed to be making the entire ordeal much more than it actually was. They even went as far as to tell them to move to the side as they prepared his body to be put back into the ocean. However, in the end, the men of the village also succumb to the impact of the drowned man as they were suddenly also overcome with a wave of compassion for him.
Toni Cade Bambara’s novel, “The Lesson,” addresses the themes of poverty and wealth. The novel’s plot revolves around Miss Moore (a teacher who takes her kids) to a toy store. The primary objective of the visit was to find out kids’ reactions to wealth and poverty. Even though the kid’s displayed different reactions, Sylvia and her best friend sugar had an almost similar experience. After completing their visit, the children take the subway home, where Sylvia thinks about her experiences at the store. Sylvia was taken away by the clown bearing a price tag of $35. The kid was amazed that a single person could purchase a birthday clown worth too much. In her real world, Sylvia notes that $35 could afford her entire family a visit to Grandpa, pay rent and the piano bill (p.6). The latter exposure leaves Sylvia wondering why some people have so much money while her family and friends have none. Sylvia’s experiences at the toy store are vibrant in connecting her childhood to the poor distribution of wealth and poverty. In addition to exposing her to unequal distribution of wealth, Sylvia is seen questioning Miss Moore’s ideology that poor people should not remain poor but rebel against their social status quo. Sylvia’s experience at the toy store is similar to Sugar’s. Despite having different opinions about items sold at the toy shop, the two girls agree that the prices indicate that their country is not democratic since some people earn too much. In contrast, others can hardly pay for their rent. For instance, Sylvia notes that the price of a clown can afford her family many things. Likewise, Sugar is surprised by Sylvia’s comment that the cost of a sailboat could feed all the children in a year (p.6-7).
