Expectations

The Hidden Gem

The story " Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara at first i did not understand the meaning or moral of the story, but after reading it over dozen times i finally got the concept behind the story. Here you have a young group of city kids with bad attitudes and terrible manners, first of all they are growing up in a tough neighborhood, where poverty, drugs, violence are found in every doorstep and every corner of their neighborhood. Sylvia, is the main leader of the young children in the story, she is a rebel and often is outspoken thinking she is above authority.

Acknowledging her rebellious attitude, Sylvia showed good traits about herself, a young intelligent girl for her age because she speaks as if she belonged to a sorority at an Ivy League College, where you have groups of smart,prideful College students who take on a role of being leaders of their schools. In the beginning of the story the children seem to hate their condition of living in a poor community, but later on they recognize the reason for their condition. So when kids are poor they are smart, in a way that they know how to survive day to day but they also tend to rebel against their authorities and the rule set to them, such that they would beg for .25 cents, buy something and sell it for .35 cents to make a profit until they have enough to buy what they need. " And she know damn well what our homes look like cause she nosy around in them every chance she gets," Sylvia said.

" And then she gets to the part about we all poor and live in the slums which i dont feature", Sylvia said.

That was an expression of anger Sylvia quoted towards Miss Moore, because of the way she tried teaching her about society, furthermore about how to handle certain situations she faces in life, or lessons about issues Sylvia would confront.

Certainly that statement Sylvia made would prove how the young children are not interested in hearing about lectures or lesson's about life, rules, or of their poor condition. It may lead you to wonder how smart Sylvia has become despite poverty, stubborn self. It does tend to happen, children growing up in low income housing project develop a skill of survival to have what other kids their age in higher income families have. In the story not only do the children express their anger but also they come to an awkward situation, when Miss Moore takes them to an expensive toy store, knowing they didn't have the financial support ( money) to buy anything. Sylvia quotes " Who'd pay all that when you can buy a sailboat set for a quater at Pop's a tube of glue for a dime and a ball of string for eight cents ? " So at first the children complain about not having what other kids have, and how poor their houses are but then here they are at the toy store on the other side of town yelling that the prices are too high, too expensive for toys, where they can get it cheaper in their hood. Sylvia then shows us how street smart she can be with money, if she had it to spend: Sylvia states that for the price of one she can get three, four, and possibly even five toys for the price of one. In the same way, i can remember with my own experience volunteering on Sundays at a foster home with orphan children. I worked with a 12 yr old kid named Johnathan at the shelter, Johnathan was sheltered at the foster home because his father was in jail and his mother suffered from a drug addiction, leaving him homeless and abandoned. Shortly after meeting him the first day i observed several children playing inside the game room, hollering, throwing clay being just kids but then i noticed Jonathan isolated in his room sitting in front of his computer, so what did i say ? First i presented myself and let him know i was here to help him, he answered, " Help me with what ?" Although we had a rough start, the more i came and spend time with him, i understood him and i also observed how bright this kid was. Even though he didn't have a stable home, lived a poor life, Jonathan loved computers and the way he knew how to navigate through the system shocked me for a kid his age, he was better at it than me. Jonathan also mentioned very often his grandparents, how he loved them and couldn't wait to move in with them once the paperwork got approved. I said to myself, this kid knew what the process was to adopt a child , the legal standpoint, more than i did ! " Wow, so it is similar to Sylvia in the lesson, both of these kids had talent inside them, you can see how Sylvia and Johnathan share these things in common.

In other words they had all the potentail in the world but could not realize that because they were too busy worried about surving day to day, not caring about the rules or what people above them would try to teach. Both of these kids felt adults do not understand what they're going through because they weren't in the same position they were in. That leads me to ask the question " Can we blame these kids for their behavior ?"