Miss Moore, a mentor plans a summer trip for the children in Harlem to an expensive toy shop, F.A.O Schwarz to teach them a lesson about the value of money. One of the children is Sylvia and she has an arrogant behavior by saying, “Back in the days when everyone was old and stupid or young and foolish and me and Sugar were the only ones just right” (Bambara 304). Sylvia thinks that she is the smartest person in their neighborhood until Miss Moore comes. Sylvia does not like Miss Moore at all and she “kinda hate her too” (304). She hates Miss Moore because she feels that someone is better and smarter than her in their neighborhood. Sylvia explains why Miss Moore wants to help children’s education, “She’d been to college and said it was only right that she should take responsibility for the young one’s education, and she not even related by marriage or blood” (304). Miss Moore wants to teach the children because she wants them to become aware of what is happening in their society. While they are in the toy store, Miss Moore asks the children what they think about their trip and one of the children, Sugar says, “that this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don’t it?” (309). Sugar learns that there is a social inequality between the rich and poor people. Sugar realizes when they are in the toy store that the cost of the sailboat can feed a lot of families. Because of what Sugar says, Sylvia confesses, “sorrowfully I’m thinkin. And something weird is going on. I can feel it in my chest” (310). Sylvia feels she betrayed by her best friend because at first they hate Miss Moore and after the trip, everything has changed. However, Sylvia realizes that what Sugar say are all true. Sylvia and other children understand what Miss Moore is trying to teach them a lesson. Sylvia changes her point of
Grant Wiggins and Jefferson are protagonists. Their individual survivals depend on their mutual support. It’s Jefferson's story, but it is narrated by Grant.
The symbols present in “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, depict the economic and social injustices faced by specific members of society, specifically the children in the story. The characters in the story are being mentored by Miss Moore, a woman from their block who has taken up the role of taking them out on weekly outings. The story touches on the situation of the children that are stuck in living in almost poverty. “The Lesson” focuses on the socioeconomic disparities between the different racial groups and how. Bambara uses several techniques such as irony, othering, and second person point of view to make the story meaningful and demonstrate the characteristics of the characters.
She is Sylvia’s best friend and is also very observant. “Sugar is the only child who tells Miss. Moore exactly what she wants to hear” (“The Lesson”). She was very interested in the toys like the rest of the children. She realized that the toys cost so much money that they could live off that money for food. “You know, Miss. Moore, I don’t think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs” (Bambara). Sugar saying this surprises Miss. Moore. Although it is the truth is just shows you how divided the world is. Sugar is learning and changing though the story from being in the toy store. By Sugar saying that it tells you as a reader that they are not wealthy. Living in the slums is more different than what they are witnessing in the toy
The story Marigolds, by Eugenia Collier, shows the harsh reality of becoming an adult in the poverty stricken times of the 1930’s. The story follows a girl, Lizabeth, as she makes the tough transition from a innocent child to an adult. As Lizabeth grows into an adult she experiences new emotions such as empathy and compassion, but in order to do so she loses her childish wonder and innocence. The story touches on themes of compassion, love, and hope associated with adulthood, but also the pain and defeat that comes with it. It shows the innocence and wonder of being a child, but also the fierce and intense emotions of adolescent. These immense differences between youth and adulthood helps to contribute to the the main theme of this story:
The book Choice Words by Peter H Johnson challenges teachers to think about the words that they say because teachers have such a powerful influence on how children see themselves. Teachers undoubtedly are a very influential part of child’s life. The words that teachers say (and don’t say) influence a child way beyond the time that he or she is in their classroom. For example, my daughter is in the second grade; she has vivid memories of all of her teachers. She remembers their character and how they made her feel. She has a positive attitude about school and loves to learn. As a mother, I am thankful for the teachers that have poured into her life. In the same way, I want to be a positive influence to my students.
Social inequalities between black and white people are no longer as distinct as they were a few decades ago. Nevertheless, many people still have a lot of prejudices against African-Americans. The unfairness of socioeconomic status can be seen in our daily lives yet it is something that we push to the back of our minds.
In the short stories we have read there have been numerous themes. The impact of tradition, the value of heritage, the importance of family, the divide between social classes, and the presence of love are all ideas that can be found in the stories we have read. Short stories have managed to encapture the importance and true meaning of life in just a few sentences by imposing on the readers themes we can all relate to. A common theme presented in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” and Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” is the power of knowledge and education.
Awilda Pedraza, bilingual mother of two, has been in her field of counseling for many years now. She is a Penn State and Kutztown student who is know working in the mental health care. Working since 1997 she has learned many new important tactics and ways to living the life she owns today. Pedraza states, “Work is a way to provide for my family and a place to help influence others.” Her typical day at the job is giving her clients the advice they need to make it in their everyday life day, but Awilda does more than talk to her patients. She has gone far enough to even help a mother therapeutically meet the requirements for Children 's Services and regain custody of her children. Awilda’s nature of helping goes a long way as guidance is a part of counseling. This is one of the greatest days
Wisdom is to know that there’s a world with a different set of values, tragedies, and wonder different and/or larger than your own; books, people, the internet, and traveling can add to anyone’s wisdom. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai are two memoirs that share their perspectives and seem to imbue invaluable wisdom into the average American. These two memoirs, as expected of individuals and their life’s stories, are distinct from one another with their unique conflicts, climaxes, and conclusions.
William Faulkner was an American author and Nobel prize winner of 1950; in his acceptance speech, he presented the idea that it is a writer’s duty to write about the compassion, courage, and pride of the heart. Faulkner says, “It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past.” In the memoir, Kabul Beauty School, a young American woman named Deborah wrote her truth about how she traveled to Afghanistan to support the women of Kabul, but she takes an unexpected turn and her heart leads her to help them in a totally different way. Deborah shows compassion, courage, pity and sacrifice through the women in Kabul. Deborah fulfills her duty through her compelling words and delineate observations of the people she is newly experiencing.
In fact, as the author in this story, Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia grew up in a very poor neighborhood. Sylvia’s understanding of the world is limited to what she experiences within her neighborhood and her tiny apartment. Scarcity and want are no strangers to her. Luckily, Sylvia and the other kids have Miss Moore as a mentor. Miss Moore begins to work within the kids’ environment to enrich them inasmuch as possible with education. Confronted with much resistance; especially from Sylvia, Miss Moore introduces Sylvia and the kids to another social class; another
Throughout reading Wes Moore’s instant classic The Other Moore many key ideas are ascertained, and many themes identified. The crumbling city infrastructure surrounding both “Wes’s” is the perfect landscape to forge a life wrought with poverty, or a resilient attitude with a relentless drive for success and better future. Though many characters embody the poverty surrounding them such as Wes’s father or Tony, foil characters such as Wes’s mother Joy represent the polar opposite. Joy, throughout the story, is constantly battling for Wes to become an upstanding, crime free citizen. Though Joy had the best intentions for her only son, often her efforts were fruitless, even hurtful. The decision to send Wes to Riverdale was one of the most important events in life. Wes’s mother was deathly concerned about the public school situation in the Bronx and opted to send her son to a much nicer private school. Wes’s ultimate departure to boarding school was in direct relation to his events at the school. Moore’s message throughout this section is very clear in that the pursuit of security and achievement was so important to Joy that she would take extreme measures to achieve “certainty”, yet one must take advantage of
Sumner was well educated and taught political and social science at one of the greatest universities in the country. He found teaching others very important, particularly on the subject of science. He further related evolution, focusing on Social Darwinism, to the issues he had observed in our struggling city life. Addams had graduated from Rockford College in Illinois and stressed education as well. However, she stressed that both formal and informal education were vital in helping those who were struggling from the “overpowering poverty of the overcrowded city.” Instead of focusing education to only the wealthier classes, she was usually teaching the poor and underprivileged and she taught basic life skills, such as sewing and cooking, as well as job training.
“Hispanic men, for their part, have made no progress in narrowing the wage gap with white men since 1980” (Patten lines 39-40). Since the dawn of time there has always been discrimination against races that society deems “superior”. In history, in the lives of those who are dedicated to change, and for the betterment of Texas there has always been a shadow cast by inequality. There is hope from every educated person, that this stigma would be completely eradicated. Inequality does nothing but hurt our society and weaken the ties between fellow human beings.