Reading Response #4: The Lesson

Stacey McDonald

EN-102

March 12, 2015

Reading Response #4

           

            In “The Lesson,” by Toni Morrison, I believe that Miss Moore is hoping to teach her group of local, under privileged children just how unfair the world can really be. Based on the location, which is 1970’s NYC, most likely Harlem, each and every one of these kids comes from a family that is extremely poor, and Miss Moore is the new, sophisticated, and intelligent woman on the block. The neighborhood parents all jump at the opportunity to expose their children to a woman like her, probably so that they will learn that there is more to life than “the block.” During their summer break she brings them to Fifth Avenue, which to most people in New York, is a symbol of money and power within itself. As they go from expensive store to expensive store, it is no surprise that these kids are baffled by the price tags. There’s a paperweight, which most of the kids don’t even know the purpose of, for $480! That’s an outrageous price in 2015, let alone the 70’s. There are expensive and meaningless items everywhere, but to be honest, I’m not sure any of this hit the kids until they found the sailboat. For $1,000, there were children given this toy just to destroy it, because it didn’t matter, their parents could always buy a new one. For these kids from Harlem, $1,000 was not okay to just throw away. That money could feed their whole family, or pay the rent for months in advance. Not money to be spent on a toy that could make for 50 cents, or buy at the dollar store.

            I believe that Miss Moore wanted them to see that they need to work their hardest in life not to let others put them down, that they would always need to be one step ahead of everyone else or they would be living the same, deprived lives for a long, long time. Nothing is handed to you, and these kids, in the eyes of society, are already at such a disadvantage. Poor little urban children, they’ll never have the expensive sailboat. They’re too worried abut what will happen if mom and dad can’t make the rent this month, or if a bill is higher than expected and they can’t buy enough food. For inner city kids, this was a reality in the 1970’s, and it’s a reality in 2015. Miss Moore taught these kids that life is unfair by taking them out of their comfort zone and into a place where the wealthy thrive. Hopefully at least one of them got to escape the life of poverty that has been thrust upon them, and I hope they realize they have Miss Moore to thank for that.