Economic disparities are evident in several parts of the world. As a result, it forms part of the society as no given group of people or specific individuals can be equal in all perspectives. Successful development of children to a great extent depends on several factors. Nevertheless, exposing the children to diverse environment plays a significant role in determining the manner in which they will perceive the different elements in the society(Bambara 4). The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara underlines the variation in the organization as far as financial muscle is concerned in different localities. In a nutshell, the story ‘The Lesson’ highlights the lessons learned by five children that play a significant role in changing their perceptions of life and their traits. Bambara’s setting of the story depicts a summer holiday as highlighted by the fact that the learners are in a position to engage in traveling activities that their parents allow despite acknowledging the fact that the teacher accompanying them was rather odd. Although Bambara underlines the existence of economic disparities in the society, the story plays a significant role in underscoring the importance of exposing the children to such environments about enhancing learning as well as enhancing their mental and emotional development. Moreover, the aspects of poverty and children behavior, as well as exposure and the kid’s perceptions, underline the aspects of lessons learned.
Poverty and Children behavior
Despite hailing from a poverty-stricken background, ‘The Lesson’ enables the children to learn the fact that not everyone is poor as some live in leafy suburbs. Living in poverty engulfed neighborhood deterred the children’s thinking and judging patterns. For instance, the children labeled the teacher as ‘The only woman on the block with no first name. And she was black as hell, except for her feet, which were fish-white and spooky.’ Also, they labeled Mrs. Moore as an archaic lady as underlined by the fact that she was dark and often dressed like a frequent churchgoer yet they believed she did not attend church services(Bambara 2). In the long run, the lesson learned to change the children’s perception of their teacher.
The environment determines the behavior of a child. The judgmental nature of the children borrows from their parent’s way of thinking as they continuously engaged in gossips due to lack of jobs to keep them busy. The children hailed from an environment where stealing was a reasonable act. For instance, they participated in the act of stealing money that was supposed to be a change to Mrs. Moore. Bambara underscores ‘When they get to their destination, Sylvia keeps the four dollars change’(Bambara 2). Therefore, poverty determines a lot not only among the children but also the adults as the children readily emulated their parents to a great extent about their opinions(Bambara 3). In the long-run, the fact that different people live differently as some live a lavish life stirs an urge for the kids to work harder and be successful in life rather than steal from others.
Exposure and child’s perception
Exposure readily alters a child’s perceptions and is vital to his or her growth. The alteration of opinions with regards to the children highlights the level of a lesson learned. When Mrs. Moore take the children to the museum, they are fascinated with the artifacts present. Since the children love the displayed toys, the prospect of being in town makes them fear to steal without permission(Bambara 3). The new locality trigger’s a different way of behaving as underlined by the fact that Sugar takes the initiative to ask whether they can steal the artifacts “Can we steal?”(Bambara 3).
New environments trigger a new way of thinking. The trip to the town and specifically to the museum plays an integral role at ensuring the children have a changed attitude towards Mrs. Moore as underlined by the fact that they even engaged in asking her questions regarding the artifacts as well as the paperweight. Moreover, the trip to the museum proved critical in the children’s ability to view life in a different spectrum as underlined by Sugar’s view in response to Mrs. Moore’s question, “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 5).
The children end up loving the town-life as they realize there is life in diverse places. For instance, Mercedes underscores the fact that she would relish the opportunity to visit the museum once again when she gets money after her birthday. Similarly, Mercedes is unperturbed by the prospect of the price tag of the toys as she readily underlines her desire to buy the toy boat. With regards to Mercedes, ‘She is at home in F. A. O. Schwarz and wants to come back with her birthday money to buy herself a toy(Bambara 5).’ As such, she believed she was also capable of owning a boat rather than stealing. Exposure plays a significant role in a child’s development. Exposure ensures a child is in a position to view life in different perspectives as it opens-up a kid’s mindset and reasoning powers.
Conclusion
Tony Cade Bambara in his story ‘The Lesson’ plays a significant role in underlining a lesson learned by children at the museum. The title of the story correlates with the ideas portrayed. The story underscores the significance of preparing the children for emancipation from the poverty bondage through exposure. As such, it achieves the objective of the story by denoting that the children learned various lessons. The existence of rich people in the city as well as traveling to a new locality intrigues the need for change in the manner in which the children viewed life. All in all, poverty plays a crucial role in determining the behaviors depicted by children. Moreover, exposure is vital in ensuring the children have a changed perception concerning being wealthy and measures to be rich. Bambara’s story highlights aspects of preparing the children psychologically to be the instruments of change as far as poverty is concerned. For who wants his or her lineage to languish in poverty in their entire life?
Works Cited
Bambara, Toni Cade. "The Lesson." 27 February 2016. IUPUI. Document. 20 January 2018.
Gradesaver. "Gorilla, My Love Summary and Analysis of "The Lesson."" 19 May 2017. Gradesaver. Document. 30 January 2018.
