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Effects of social class on education of a child
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When kids ask their parents how much money they make from their occupation, most parents won’t tell them. Grown-ups feel sensitive and insecure about how much money they make, and they don't want to bring that burden upon their kids. In “The Stolen Party,” by Liliana Heker, Rosaura, the protagonist comes from a low-income family where her mother is a maid. Rosaura is ignorant to the fact that social class can affect who you're “equal” with. Therefore, we pity this small girl, who is just trying to fit in and not be judged by her peers at this “rich people’s party.” In the beginning, Rosaura demonstrates how young people can be oblivious to their family’s social class, but by the end, she understands that young people are shielded from their family’s welfare for the right reasons. …show more content…
At the beginning of the book, her mother doesn't want her to go to the party, but she gives one reason why “it’s a rich people's party.” Rosaura is befuddled and cannot comprehend why she shouldn't go to the party, not knowing what her mother means. Being stubborn, like any young child would be, Rosaura doesn't care what her mother thinks, and she goes to the party oblivious as to what she is there for. Her mother is trying to prevent the pure cruelty of understanding that she isn't equal to higher social classes. Her understanding of life changes immensely throughout the party, and little by little she realizes what she is there for. Not as a friend, but as a
hooks recalls from personal experience the lessons she learned when she was growing up in a poor family. She says that in her household, no one was ashamed of living in poverty; instead, it was a “breeding ground of moral integrity” (hooks 433). hooks remembers her parents and grandparents teaching her about the value and the worth of a person. She grew up knowing that a person’s value was worth more than their material possessions (433). In addition, her grandparents informed her that no matter how many degrees a person may have, it did not prove their intelligence nor integrity (433).
The children in this book at times seem wise beyond their years. They are exposed to difficult issues that force them to grow up very quickly. Almost all of the struggles that the children face stem from the root problem of intense poverty. In Mott Haven, the typical family yearly income is about $10,000, "trying to sustain" is how the mothers generally express their situation. Kozol reports "All are very poor; statistics tell us that they are the poorest children in New York." (Kozol 4). The symptoms of the kind of poverty described are apparent in elevated crime rates, the absence of health care and the lack of funding for education.
In Junot Diaz’s essay “The Money” he explains where his family stands economically. Stating that his father was regularly being fired from his forklifting jobs and his mother 's only job was to care for him and his four siblings. With the money brought home by his father, his mom would save some. Her reason was to raise enough to send to her parents back in the Dominican Republic. When his family went on a vacation, they came back to an unpleasant surprise; their house had been broke into. Eventually Diaz was able to get back their money and belongings. Diaz returned the money to his mother although she didn’t thank him for it, this disappointed him. Like Diaz I have also encountered a similar situation where I was disappointed. When I was in second grade, my life life took a completely different turn. My dad took an unexpected trip to Guatemala, on his return, the outcome was not what I expected.
In “Another Holiday for the Prince” by Elizabeth Jolley, the author draws upon many themes, one in particular that Jolley illustrates is how poverty influences changes in the individual lives within one family. To begin with the head of the family; a father is never mentioned in the story, not even once. But by not having a father figure in the story, the reader can understand a lot. In society the man is the one who earns the money and provides all the essentials for his family, however this story is presented in a society where the mother has to be the man of the family. Ones self-esteem can be diminished as a result of poverty, alienation and the destructive effects of a weak personality or society on the individual.
The film Clueless praises the white rich feminine voice. The film begins with high school students from Beverly Hills shopping, partying, and spending money as the kids in America. This economic capital is unrealistically flaunted as the normal life of a teenage girl. Cher’s father, as a lawyer, earns $500 per hour. His occupation allows Cher to have a jeep, designer clothes. Her economic status puts her at the top of the academic social hierarchy. Her persuasiveness and popularit...
"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).
In the story Jubilee by Kirstin Valdez Quade A young very bright Latin American woman, Andrea, struggles with feeling like she’s been accepted in today’s society despite all of her achievements. These feelings tend to peak and turn negative whenever she’s around the family of her father’s lifelong employer, the Lowells, and in particularly their daughter Parker. Although the Lowells, as a whole seem to love Andrea and her family, she finds that their success and good fortune directly correlates to her family’s second rate citizenship. This story reveals that obsession with being accepted as an equal can be an ever increasing stressor that can severely damage a child’s identity, social skills and ultimately lead to misplaced resentment and
In "Bums in the Attic," a chapter from her novel The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros discusses the differences between groups in which the upper class ignores anyone not belonging to the same leisure status. Those belonging to the lower classes however, has had to work to gain success and cannot forget the past in which he struggled. In chasing the American dream, the lower class realizes that the only way to gain true happiness from monetary success, one cannot forget his past and must therefore redefine the traditional attitude of the upper class.
A world of class and economic distinction emerged on a class of students from Harlem one day while on a trip with their teacher to FAO Schwartz Toy Store. Miss Moore intentionally targets expensive toys that are unobtainable for the children due to financial reasons; she does this in order to expose the children to what life is like for those who do not live in an oppressed community as them. This method of instruction has an impact so far on the children as they begin to contemplate the prices of extravagant items and the lifestyle of those who can afford these items: “Who are
Carolina told about two boys wandering the streets of the favela who were from shelters in the city. At the shelters, there were innocent children abandoned or orphaned, but also there were young criminals sentenced to stay there. Both groups were thrown together and treated as though they all had prison sentences. Carolina wrote, “I felt that in the State Shelter the children’s morals were lowered. […] What’s lacking? Concern for the unfortunate or money from the State?” (81). Whether it was babies dying in the favela, or children growing into poverty, the families of favelados were destined for misfortune. Carolina’s older children were still in school, but they contributed to the family income, as was common at the time, by going out to beg or to collect paper and scrap with her. Favelas of Brazil bred the destruction of innocence and children grew up quickly, such as when “the son of Joaquim went to school drunk” (130). Intersectionality of race and class was also pertinent. Racism and classism prevented poor, impoverished children from receiving any opportunities to improve their
In the short story “River of Names” by Dorothy Allison, violence replaces education. The family in the story, which represents uneducated and poor lower class citizens, continues through a cycle of death and abuse throughout generations. Without proper education, improper actions and thoughts are hard to overcome. For example, the narrator’s sister, Billie, promised herself that she “wasn’t going to be like that” (Allison 170). The narrator and Billie swore they would break away from the pattern of violence within their family; however, their natural instincts leaned toward violent actions. Billie expressed violence towards her child’s cries while the narrator expressed her violence towards Jesse. The narrator of this story had more experience with educated people and therefore had more control over her actions by distinguishing right from wrong. Education aids in the use of moral sense. Although some lower class citizens have access to education, it is not the same quality education the upper class receives. In the short story “The Stolen Party,” Liliana Heker creates a scene of comparison between the education of different classes. Rosaura, the maid’s daughter, and Luciana, the daughter of the high class employer, worked on their homework together every day after school. Rosaura thought she was “a friend of Luciana” because of this; however, Luciana’s friends looked down upon Rosaura because she did not attend the same school as Luciana (150). The lower class faces discrimination due to the elite education of the upper class. The refinement and delicacy of higher class education provides them with knowledge of how to prepare their future generations for greatness instead of violence or
Sometimes growing up we experience situations that can change our perspective on life. Especially, when these situations happen unexpectedly; we are in disbelief. In Toni Cade Bambara short story “The Lesson” written in first person; it delves into the struggle of a girl, Sylvia, who realizes the economic and social injustice surrounding her. However, with the help of Miss Moore Sylvia comes to grip with this issue, and opts to overcome it. In “The Lesson” Miss Moore wanted to impart on Sylvia and the other children is the value of a dollar, the importance of education, and to fathom the social and economic injustice that bounded them.
Although, African Americans are considered minorities in the United States, not all of them live in poverty. Many African Americans live in a middle class society along with the dominant culture. However, many African Americans do not live in a middle class society, but rather live in poverty and have to suffer along with this poverty. For instance, Donald Goines’s Black Girl Lost and Tina McElroy Ansa’s Baby of the Family, two narrative novels, that illustrate the difference in two young African American girls lives and the society in which they inhabit. Not only do these young African American girls represent the two sides of poverty, they also represent how children can also qualify in the minority category. For example, Sandra lives in a run down apartment with a drunk mother who could care less about her daughter. In addition, Sandra remains all on her own and has to find ways in which to survive each day. But on the other hand, Lena lives in a nice size home with her two parents, her two brothers, and her grandmother, all who love her very much. Moreover, Lena has many family members who look after her and take extra special care for her because she is the baby of the family. Although, both Sandra and Lena lead very different lives, both are faced with challenges as a minority and as a child which questions their view on life.
In the story The Stolen Party, Liliana Heker shows symbolism, figurative language, and irony. Rosaura could not understand the differences between the rich and the poor. She was accepted by the rich family and was friends with their daughter, Luciana. Even though her mom told her that they only accepted her as a maid and nothing else. Nevertheless, she was eager to go to the party and decided to go with excitement. Symbolism, figurative language, and irony are expressed in the story and play an important role because it tells us the difference between the upper class and the lower class.
Our kids is a New York Times best selling novel by Robert D Putnam. It features in depth looks into the lives of Americans from varying social classes, and provides important data on the population of Americans and our disproportionate life opportunities. During his in debth looks into people’s lives, he shows us the way in which these broad social problems affect individual people, and really makes a moving argument that something is very wrong and something needs to be done about it. A couple of people that stood out to me were Lola and Lisa. Both girls are from very low income families residing in violent impoverished communities. These girls demonstrated how incredibly difficult it is to break out of poverty in our nation because of influences outside of their control. Lola demonstrated how our school systems restrict students in low income neighborhoods from getting good educations, while Lisa