The Lesson of Life It has always been distinctive that knowledge arises through realization of the surrounding world. “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara and “Araby” by James Joyce deal with the lessons learned in life. Sylvia from “The Lesson” lives in one of the burrows of New York and journeys to the Fifth Avenue and learns about the immeasurably diverse lifestyle of the people there. The main character of “Araby” possesses the craving to venture onto the enchanted market Araby to purchase a gift for his beloved. Sylvia and the main character of “Araby” soon learn how the world is so different and how it will transform their lives. Originally, in “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia shows signs of detachment towards Miss Moore due to …show more content…
Despite all her rebellious actions, Sylvia feels slightly uncomfortable when everyone is about to enter F.A.O. Schwarz. She states, “…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.” (Bambara 4). The quote signifies that for some reason, Sylvia is feeling insecure. She is not afraid of a simple toy store, but it is something different. She knows it is embarrassment. In this context, the cognizance is coming to Sylvia in the form of embarrassment. After witnessing the immensely different lifestyles on Fifth Avenue, she starts to understand Miss Moore’s ideas. She is slowly learning just how big the cavity is between the different economical classes. She feels like an outsider. The child in her is slowly growing up, absorbing the harsh reality of the world in the process. In addition, when the children are at the store, the exorbitant prices of the toys compels Sylvia to question herself of the social and economic differences. She states, “Who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and $1000 for toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain't in on it? ” (Bambara 5). According to the quote, all the children have arrived at the toy store F.A.O. Schwarz and got a look at the inflated prices of the toys. Sylvia is questioning herself about …show more content…
The narrator is deeply infatuated with Mangan’s sister and she is always on his mind. He states, “Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand. My eyes were often full of tears (I could not tell why) and at times a flood from my heart seemed to pour itself out into my bosom.” (Joyce 2). The quote talks about the narrator’s smitten feelings for a girl only referred to as Mangan’s sister. It is evident that she is always on his mind and she naturally flows through his mind unconsciously. He is also very grief-stricken at times, which surprises him. The fact that Mangan’s sister does not have a name clearly reveals that the narrator is in love with what she represents, physical beauty. This is something rather mutual for any adolescent boy experiencing sexual beauty for the first time. He is stuck in his own little world of infatuation where she is always present and he also feels sad as he cannot convey his feelings of love. Also, after the narrator decided that he will bring something for Mangan’s sister as a gift from the bazaar, Araby, he is overcome with joy. He states, “What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts after that evening! I wished to annihilate the tedious intervening days. I chafed against the work of school.” (Joyce 2). The quote
Toni Cade Bambara addresses how knowledge is the means by which one can escape out of poverty in her story The Lesson. In her story she identifies with race, economic inequality, and literary epiphany during the early 1970’s. In this story children of African American progeny come face to face with their own poverty and reality. This realism of society’s social standard was made known to them on a sunny afternoon field trip to a toy store on Fifth Avenue. Through the use of an African American protagonist Miss Moore and antagonist Sylvia who later becomes the sub protagonist and White society the antagonist “the lesson” was ironically taught. Sylvia belong to a lower economic class, which affects her views of herself within highlights the
When Ms. Moore, Sylvia and the group of kids were in toy store the kids perspective about social class changes, the prices of toys were so expensive it makes the kids to begin to think about life as evident said by Sylvia “...we start down the block and she gets ahead which is O.K.by me cause I’m
In the story of, "Araby" James Joyce concentrated on three main themes that will explain the purpose of the narrative. The story unfolded on North Richmond Street, which is a street composed of two rows of houses, in a desolated neighborhood. Despite the dreary surroundings of "dark muddy lanes" and "ash pits" the boy tried to find evidence of love and beauty in his surroundings. Throughout the story, the boy went through a variety of changes that will pose as different themes of the story including alienation, transformation, and the meaning of religion (Borey).
In “The Lesson”, Sylvia immediately proclaims her hatred for Miss Moore. With Sylvia’s instant proclamation, the readers don’t have enough time to figure out Miss Moore’s character. Sylvia’s hatred shouldn’t dictate the readers’ feelings. Not to mention, she doesn’t explain this rapid disdain towards Miss Moore. Although the grownups don’t seem to like Miss Moore either by talking behind her back, the readers aren’t introduced to why she’s cast in the antagonistic role.
The boy also hid his inner self from the truth, like the house, because of his own lust for Mangan’s sister. He, being a boy, did not understand what love was, yet pursued it trying to gain inner happiness. “Each morning” he would lie “on the floor in the front parlour watching her door. The blind was pulled down to within an inch of the sash so that I could not be seen. When she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped” (para. 4). He lusts after her thinking that is was pure love.
Joyce’s “Araby” and Bambara’s “Lesson” pose surprising similarities to each other. Despite the narrators’ strikingly clear differences, such as time period, ethnicity, social class, and gender the characters have important similarities. Both narrators are at crucial developmental stages in their lives, are faced with severe adversities, and have a point of clarity that affects their future.
A coming of age story is when the protagonist experiences climatic event that leads them to adulthood. The event is usually tough but leads to a realization or epiphany. The short stories “A&P” by John Updike and “Araby” by James Joyce both reflect coming of age stories. In the story A&P, the narrator, Sammy quits his job to stand up for the three girls wearing “nothing but their bathing suits”() In the story Araby, the narrator shows himself growing up through discovering his sexuality. In the stories A&P and Araby there are strong similarities in the plot and setting, however they are also different in the imagery and figurative language.
The Lesson takes place in New York?s inner city. The fictional story begins with a group of poor, uneducated, lower class city kids standing in front of a mailbox, preparing themselves for another day of being taught by Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore felt that it was her duty to help underprivileged children learn because she
Once inside the store, Sylvia can no longer ignore the blinding imparity between the rich and the poor. Her discovery of an overly priced toy clown prompts her to consider what could be bought for its price: "Thirty-five dollars could buy new bunk beds for Junior and Gretchen’s boy. Thirty-five dollars and the whole household could go visit Granddaddy Nelson in the country. Thirty-five dollars would pay for the rent and the piano bill too" (605). Sylvia is forced to finally address the socioeconomic inequality that works against her while simultaneously conferring certain luxuries on the rich: "Who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and $1000 for toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain’t in on it?" (605).
We immediately learn that Miss Moore is not the average Harlem teacher. She is educated herself, along with being very opinionated. The children explain that she has nappy
When the narrator first encounters the girl, his friend's older sister, he can only see her silhouette in the “light from the half-opened door”. This is the beginning of his infatuation with the girl. After his discovery, he is plagued by thoughts of the girl which make his daily obligations seem like “ugly, monotonous, child's play”. He has become blinded by the light. The narrator not only fails to learn the name of his “girl”, he does not realize that his infatuation with a woman considerably older than himself is not appropriate. He relishes in his infatuation, feeling “thankful [he] could see so little” while he thinks of the distant “lamp or lighted window” that represents his girl. The narrator is engulfed by the false light that is his futile love.
This store really shows the kids that the value of a dollar is to what they use to think it was. By Miss Moore taking the kids to the toy store she shows them how money is going to take them through life. So that shows how smart she is because she knows the real value of a dollar. “But she ain't so smart cause I still got her four dollars from the taxi and she sure ain't gettin it Messin up my day with this shit. Sugar nudges me in my pocket and winks.” This quote how educated Miss Moore is because since she went to school, got her college degree, and now has a job as a teacher she has money to let Sugar and her cousin have. Miss Moore was maybe just testing the kids to see if she was going to l\get her left over change.
Universality of experience makes James Joyce's "Araby" interesting, readers respond instinctively to an experience that could have been their own. It is part of the instinctual nature of man to long for what he feels is the lost spirituality of his world. In all ages man has believed that it is possible to search for and find a talisman, which, if brought back, will return this lost spirituality. The development of theme in "Araby" resembles the myth of the quest for a holy talisman.
James Joyce’s narrative “Araby”, contains many microcosmic ideals. The narrative describes, in relation to the Dublin, Ireland of the period, maturity, pubescence, and public life. A.R. Coulthard stated that “Araby” is not a tale a young person’s initiation into adulthood but a “… dramatization of a soul-shriveling Irish asceticism which renders hopes and dreams not only foolish, but sinful.”(97). Coulthard chooses to focus plainly on the religious aspect of the tale and forgo the classic example of a coming of age story.
In the short story “Araby” by James Joyce, the narrator tells a story about his fantasized obsession with his friend Mangan’s sister. The tale leads up to a highly-anticipated trip to the Araby, a bazaar, where the narrator intends to purchase a gift for her. It is at the Araby that the narrator realizes that he is viewing himself, the bazaar, and Mangan’s sister with an inflated point of view. Throughout the literary piece, readers can see how “Araby” may be noted as an initiation story, due to the detailed descriptions of setting. The setting of the story holds great importance in conveying the ideas of James Joyce to readers without adding more content. With several descriptions, the setting demonstrates the feelings