“The Lesson Sylvia Learns”
...chwarz toy store, to teach them a lesson and inspire them to strive for success and attempt to better themselves and their situations. Douglas 2 At the beginning of the story, the author gives us the feeling that a child is narrating this story. She also shows that the Sylvia, is at that age where she feels that adults are silly and she knows everything. The first thing learned, is that poverty is a way of life for these children. Although they know they are poor, it doesn't bother them because everyone there is poor. It's okay to be without when there isn't any competition. An example of this is seen when the children talk of their study areas at home. Only one of them actually have a desk and paper, and the others think nothing of it. Instead they tell her to shut up about it. The children are proud of themselves and of their life. On the day the story takes place, Miss Moore has rounded up the neighborhood kids and is going to take them to F.A.O. Schwarz. Sylvia has a poor attitude toward the excursion because she feels that her day could have been better spent. Miss Moore finally leads the kids to the toy store. The are immediately dazzled by the toys in the windows; even declaring which ones they were going to buy. The children seemed to know they couldn't afford the toys, but they didn't think they would be off by much. The once brave and proud and strong children were hobbled at the door, none of which wanting to go in first. Here is the point where they get slapped in the face. Here is where they first see that they do not belong here. Eventually one of them pushes through the crowd and throws herself into the gallery of toys. They go around gazing at the different objects. Miss Moore drives the point home by leading them to the fact that one toy costs as much as their family eats in a year. In the ...