In a person’s lifetime childhood is a stage of exploration. Through the teachings and experience of our elders and experienced people around us, a person can learn a lot about the world around them. These influential factors help in the creation of a stronger adult in the future. In The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara and Girl by Jamaica Kincaid the characters are guided by dominant mother like figures in order to learn valuable lessons and morals that shape the children as better individuals.
The lessons are taught early on in the story. In the short story Girl By Jamaica Kincaid, the protagonist of the story is perceived as young girl who is in her early teenage and she needs to always be seen as a woman and not a slut as her mother says to
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her often “like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming” (Kincaid 757). Her mother wants to remind her of how the world is and what she needs to do to be able to survive in it. On the other hand in the short story The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Miss Moore plays a role of a teacher who is trying to help children much like herself in order for them to get what they need out of society. Sylvia the main character describes Miss Moore as an old lady “with nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup” (Bambara) with Miss. Moore being different and not feeling the need to conform to the looks of society she is showing the children you can survive in society without following all the rules. These rules comes off as a set of instructions by the mother in “Girl. She is really strict with these instructions that the girl has really no chance at defending herself but only twice and even in these defending statements the mother still finds a way to over talk her. She states, “don’t sing benna in Sunday school: you mustn’t speak to wharf-rat boys…but I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school… this is how to sew a button” and so on (Kincaid). The mother rejects the idea of the daughter disobeying and continues on with her lesson. Bambara takes a different approach and actually encourages the children to question things. She asked the kids after visiting the fancy toy store, “What did you think of F.A.O. Schwarz…imagine for a minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven. What do you think”(Bambara)? This act of reflection demonstrates that instead of listing the things that need change or need to be done she pushes them to actively seek them from their own experience. Through their own experiences the characters receive another set of lessons dealing with the outside world. As we see the idea of self-discovery is exposed in “The Lesson” by Miss. Moore allowing each child to notice things that they never knew they could obtain. Sugar realizes that the standard of living is more unequal than it should be.” I think…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” (Bambara)? In this quote she established that Miss Moore’s goal to teach the underprivileged kids that there is more out there. They needed to work together as a social class to make a change rather than individually. The idea of self-discovery was not an option to the girl in Kincaid’s short story. Her mother figure is aggressively telling her how she should behave and act accordingly. Although she wishes to disobey her mother figure that fear of being out cased is to freighting. After all she doesn’t want to become the type of woman “the baker won’t let near the bread” (Kincaid ). Similarly, In terms of the subject matter both stories deliver different themes.
For instance, in The Lesson Toni Cade Bambara, the author is trying to show us the economic inequality within the society. As suggested in the story that the main protagonist of the story comes from a low income background who lived in Harlem New York City. She was amazed when her teacher took them on trip to an expensive store and there Miss Moore makes a powerful statement. As stated “Imagine for a minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven.” This shows that economic inequality existed within the society and it was ironic how some people might spend so much money on unnecessary things without knowing that money can be spend to feed people who don’t have enough money to buy a meal. Furthermore, in the story Miss Moore is the symbol of education as she is trying to educate her own society. For instance, she is trying teach the kids that world is unfair and economic inequality exists within the society. Therefore she is trying to teach the kids how to face the world with courage. But different themes are explored in Girl by Jamaica Kincaid. For instance, the set of instructions by her mother represents the knowledge that she needs in order to be the powerful person in the household. Her mother wants her to be the women who is respected by the society and her family members. Furthermore, in this story culture and tradition is emphasized. As we see throughout the story her mother is passing her knowledge onto her
daughter. However, comparing these two short stories in terms of subject matter we find out that these stories explore different themes but if we take a closer look we may also find a common theme knowledge plays an important role throughout the stories. For instance, in the short story The Lesson, Miss Moore is using her knowledge to make kids aware the economic inequality within the society and similarly in the short story Girl , the author’s mother represents knowledge as she is advising her daughter on how to become a better woman in this world. Therefore, both stories have a common theme of knowledge even though they represent other themes. Likewise, In terms of language, portrayal of the protagonist both short stories were different. For instance, Girl was very different compared to The Lesson as it was written in a prose poem format and it just had set instructions being conveyed by her mother. Whereas the main character in the story is the girl who is being given the set of instructions by her mother. While reading the story, the reader might realize that the is recalling her mother’s instructions when she was young. However, in The Lesson the main protagonist of the story is the girl named Sylvia and its different compared to Girl. As it is written in a regular short story and its a first person narration. Furthermore, in both stories protagonist plays different roles. For instance, in Girl by Jamaica Kincaid, the protagonist can’t speak against her mother and that puts the protagonist in a position where she can’t go against the rules. Even though she tries to defend herself. As stated “But I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school ”. (Jamaica 757). As it shows that she tries to defend herself against her mother’s instruction but she still feel powerless as her mother is still considered to be powerful over her. Furthermore she also feels insecure when her mother says, “but what if the baker won't let me feel the bread?"(Kincaid 752). In contrast to Girl the protagonist in The Lesson , The protagonist feels more powerful as she doesn’t go by the rules. She wants to change way of living as stated in the last paragraph of the story, “But ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin”. This shows that she wants to achieve something greater. Therefore it shows that protagonist in The Lesson is more powerful compared to the protagonist in Girl. In both of the short stories “Girl” and “The Lesson the characters received different lessons but in the end the common idea that the world they live in has set standards is met. They realize that society tends to look down upon those who deviate away from the norm. The older mother figure in “The Lesson” makes sure that the kids know that they are allowed to find the truth on her own journey. While the mother figure in “Girl” tells her daughter how to behave on her journey, they both have accomplished their goal of shaping the children for a better future and teaching them lessons.
¨If¨ by Rudyard Kipling and ¨Girl¨ by Jamaica Kincaid are both letters to a child written by their parents in the form of a poem. In the letters the parents set expectations the child is expected to follow in the future. They are very similar with some differences. The goal of this essay is to compare and contrast the two texts.
The world has experienced many changes in past generations, to the present. One of the very most important changes in life had to be the changes of children. Historians have worked a great deal on children’s lives in the past. “While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”- Author Unknown
In John Connolly’s novel, The Book of Lost Things, he writes, “for in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be”. Does one’s childhood truly have an effect on the person one someday becomes? In Jeannette Walls’ memoir The Glass Castle and Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, this question is tackled through the recounting of Jeannette and Amir’s childhoods from the perspectives of their older, more developed selves. In the novels, an emphasis is placed on the dynamics of the relationships Jeannette and Amir have with their fathers while growing up, and the effects that these relations have on the people they each become. The environment to which they are both exposed as children is also described, and proves to have an influence on the characteristics of Jeannette and Amir’s adult personalities. Finally, through the journeys of other people in Jeannette and Amir’s lives, it is demonstrated that the sustainment of traumatic experiences as a child also has a large influence on the development of one’s character while become an adult. Therefore, through the analysis of the effects of these factors on various characters’ development, it is proven that the experiences and realities that one endures as a child ultimately shape one’s identity in the future.
The lessons that are taught through experience are usually the ones that stick with children for a lifetime. In Toni Cade Bambara's “The Lesson”, Miss Moore, a prominent character in the story, teaches a lesson to underprivileged children growing up in Harlem. Bambara's work is described as “stories [that] portray women who struggle with issues and learn from them.” (Vertreace, Par. 48) Bambara uses Miss Moore and her characteristics to teach Sylvia and the other children about social inequality and the idea of pursuing personal aspirations regardless of social status. Miss Moore has many admirable characteristics; she's intelligent, patient and caring.
Within every story or poem, there is always an interpretation made by the reader, whether right or wrong. In doing so, one must thoughtfully analyze all aspects of the story in order to make the most accurate assessment based on the literary elements the author has used. Compared and contrasted within the two short stories, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and John Updike’s “A&P,” the literary elements character and theme are made evident. These two elements are prominent in each of the differing stories yet similarities are found through each by studying the elements. The girls’ innocence and naivety as characters act as passages to show something superior, oppression in society shown towards women that is not equally shown towards men.
"The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara is not just a spirited story about a poor girl out of place in an expensive toy store, it is a social commentary. "The Lesson" is a story about one African-American girl's struggle with her growing awareness of class inequality. The character Miss Moore introduces the facts of social inequality to a distracted group of city kids, of whom Sylvia, the main character, is the most cynical. Flyboy, Fat Butt, Junebug, Sugar, Rosie, Sylvia and the rest think of Miss Moore as an unsolicited educator, and Sylvia would rather be doing anything else than listening to her. The conflict between Sylvia and Miss Moore, "This nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree" (307), represents more than the everyday dislike of authority by a young adolescent. Sylvia has her own perception of the way things work, her own "world" that she does not like to have invaded by the prying questions of Miss Moore. Sylvia knows in the back of her mind that she is poor, but it never bothers her until she sees her disadvantages in blinding contrast with the luxuries of the wealthy. As Miss Moore introduces her to the world of the rich, Sylvia begins to attribute shame to poverty, and this sparks her to question the "lesson" of the story, how "money ain't divided up right in this country" (308).
Parent/Child relationships are very hard to establish among individuals. This particular relationship is very important for the child from birth because it helps the child to be able to understand moral and values of life that should be taught by the parent(s). In the short story “Teenage Wasteland”, Daisy (mother) fails to provide the proper love and care that should be given to her children. Daisy is an unfit parent that allows herself to manipulated by lacking self confidence, communication, and patience.
The second person point of view helps the reader to connect with the girl in this story. It shows the reader a better understanding of this character and how she is being raised to be a respectable woman. This point of view also gives us an insight on the life of women and shows us how they fit into their society. Through this point of view, the reader can also identify the important aspects of the social class and culture. The daughter tries to assert a sense of selfhood by replying to the mother but it is visible that the mother is being over whelming and constraining her daughter to prepare her for
As well she responds to most situations with a maturity most adults’ lack. These books all describe how the adult world is often complicated and difficult, as well as full of lies, deceit, and phoney people. The books also describe how sometimes an innocent child’s opinion can be smarter than a full grown
Child had some arguments against the education system for girls. As the class learned, girls would go to school and dip their toes into many of the sciences rather than focus their education on the classics to prepare for college entrance exams like their male counterparts. Child also argued that once young women graduated, they got caught up in going to balls and parties to live out their youth while they still could. The author thought that young people should be taught about frugality and industry in case they became impoverished at some point in their lives, like the struggles that she faced with David’s debts. Within the text, Child visited with the mother of an impoverished family. The mother hired a seamstress to sew and patch their clothing because the sixteen year old daughter did not have enough sewing skill. Child was taken aback by the statement because she thought that the young woman would have been able to sew to bring in money for her family. But, the mother replied that school, music, and dance took up too much of the daughter’s time during the school year and during winter break she would be spending time with her friends. “Now is her time to enjoy herself, you know. Let her take all the comfort she can, while she is single!,” stated the mother. Since young women did not learn domestic tasks in school, they did not enjoy them later in life. The arts
In this way, Julian tries to teach his mother that now it is not time for difference but equality, and her thoughts about those blacks should be changed to fit in with the society. Not only that, but the author also shows equality with the background of the story. Julian graduated from university and his mother is an heir of a rich family, yet he is still to-be-a writer, he is poor and has no job at the moment and is desperately in need of money because of his mother's illness.
Our class has been reading a book called “Brown Girl Dreaming” for the past two weeks. The author, Jacqueline Woodson talks about her life growing up. For example she talks about how her mom and dad divorced when she was young. She talks about how she moves to Greenville and how her grandpa is like a dad figure, and how her mother came back with a pale skinned baby after she went to New York. Character traits make up a person, and while reading the book, you can see what Jacqueline is like during her childhood. Jacqueline has many character traits, such as being jealous of her older sister, being naive, and she is also respectful.
The narrator of the story is a young, black girl name Sylvia and the story is also told from her perspective. The setting is not clear. Perhaps it started in Harlem and then to downtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue and the time of the story took place is also unclear. Bambara uses a great deal of characterization to describe the characters in the story. For example, Bambara describes Miss Moore as “black as hell” (Bambara 330), “cept her feet, which were fish-white and spooky” (Bambara 330), and “looked like she was going to church” (Bambara 330). She later tells us that she’s been to college and her state of mind is she believes it’s her responsibility for the children’s education. The plot started when Miss Moore rounded up all of the children by the mailbox. Then she gets the kids in a cab and took them to Fifth Avenue to a big toy store where the rich people would shop. The story then continues with the children and Miss Moore in the toy store and the kids looking around and noticing they can’t afford anything. Which will soon end the plot with a lesson that society is not fair, “that this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to purse happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don’t it?”(Bambara 330). Hence, the lesson Miss Moore is trying to teach these
This short story makes the gender roles in the Southern culture very clear. Even though the grandmother is very talkative it is her mouth that put them all in danger. If she had not claimed to recognize the Misfit he probably would have let them go, but the grandmother also foreshadowed the dangerous situation happening before it happened. This irony is what I believe the author uses to draw attention to the gender roles within Southern culture. I believe the author allows the grandmother to have insight of how this misfit she saw the newspaper would be ultimately the end of their lives. If her son would have considered what she said about encountering the Misfit, he could have prevented their death. When her son chose to ignore her, it was a representation of how women’s opinion was ignored in society. The short story didn't seem to have much tension or mention about race other than the display of how the family interacted with themselves and with other African Americans. Finally, this story raises questions about class because it shows how the children treated people with a lower economic status. This family is portrayed as a working or middle-class family because the daughter knows how to tap dance, and their family is going on a vacation. The children treat people with a lower economic status poorly with a lot of disrespect. On page 4 the daughter speaks disrespectfully
The rifts between mothers and daughters continue to separate them, but as the daughters get older they become more tolerant of their mothers. They learn they do not know everything about their mothers, and the courage their mothers showed during their lives is astounding. As they get older they learn they do not know everything, and that their mothers can still teach them much about life. They grow closer to their mothers and learn to be proud of their heritage and their culture. They acquire the wisdom of understanding, and that is the finest feeling to have in the world.