Comparing 'Salvation And The Lesson'

Some might think that there are moments in life that have the ability to change an individual’s view and/or perspective forever. Some individuals may even call this moment pivotal or defining; the one time or circumstance that changed who they were. Life changing moments do not limit themselves to age, however, when it takes place in a child it can alter their way of thinking and perspectives about the world in which they live. It is this very type of mind altering experience that a young boy, Langston in the story “Salvation” and a young girl, Sylvia in the story “The Lesson” have in common. In both stories, the children are a fairly young age and placed in situations that cause them to lose a certain amount of their childhood innocence and
It is almost difficult to imagine that Sylvia actually has any innocence left to loose given the fact that the author portrays Sylvia to be the tough kid from the block with jaw dropping language, thick skin, and a seemingly bad attitude in general. Yet, it is of the opinion that Sylvia’s innocence is truly thinking that the environment, neighborhood, and poverty that she grew up in is all that is available to her, because she knows no other; that is until Miss Moore attempts to educate her. To illustrate Toni Bambara writes, “And Miss Moore asking us do we know what money is, like we a bunch of retards. I mean real money, she say, like it’s only poker chips or monopoly papers we lay on the grocer. So right away I’m tired of this and say so.” (Bambara, 1972, para. 3). The innocence of Sylvia seems to be that Sylvia has just simply accepted where and who she is and not questioned the other
Sylvia could see that the two different sides were worlds apart even though she may not have wanted to. Miss Moore asks the cousin Sugar to provide her thoughts on the inequality of money and replies as Toni Bambara writes, ““I think,” say Sugar pushing me off her feet like she never done before, cause I whip her ass in a minute, “this 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, 1972, para. 51). After that the narrator, Sylvia suggests that there is an unsettling feeling in her chest which can be construed as coming to terms with the fact that her cousin Sugar, may just have a very valid point about how much being equal is lacking (Friedman,