values
...ld people will conform to the culture. Even though our Democracy is not always fair, there are no alternate forms of government in the United States. “Where we are is who we are.(Miss Moore)” The people have no choice but to accept Democracy just as they must accept the pop culture. In the short story “Hollywood,” Louis makes an effort to teach his son the different aspects and values of life by directly speaking to him. He wants his son to realize the significance of life and what is real. But we live in a material world and people tend to conform. Louis refuses to accept the pop culture and hopes that his son will do the same. He takes his family on a vacation to Southern California during the winter because it is cheaper. He brings his wife Marta and son Ramon to Santa Monica beach. While at the beach Louis attempts to educate Ramon. “Those boats go around and catch fish so that people can eat. And the seagulls, those birds that are flying around there, see? Those are called seagulls and they go around and catch fish too, just like those boats, and that’s how they live.” Louis wants his son to become aware of the different parts of life and to enjoy life itself. But Ramon quickly loses interest. Ramon is only a young child and it is not easy for Louis to teach while at the same time keep Ramon entertained. “Why can’t we go to Disneyland? He would have such a good time,” says Marta. Louis refuses and feels Ramon should learn the important things first. “What would a place like Disneyland teach him besides cartoons.” In Louis’s eyes Disneyland has no real importance in life. It is only games and roller coasters. He feels that there is nothing one can learn from a materialistic place such as Disneyland. Louis cares for his son and only wishes the best for him. Even though they had never gone to Disneyland, Ramon never came to share the same values as his father. In the end Ramon was only interested in the material things such as the A & W commercial he had seen on the beach. Materialism is all around us and there is no escaping it. “The Lesson” is about a group of poor African American children who lack a real education. Miss Moore (a neighbor) has a college degree and feels it is her responsibility to further school the children. She tries to make a point across to all the children about democracy but without actually stating it. She takes them to a toy store called F.A.O Schwarz. The store is outside of their neighborhood where people are better off. The toys are extremely expensive. “Who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and $1000 dollar toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain’t in on it? I don’t think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs.” The children could afford nothing at F.A.O Schwarz because everything is ridiculously expensive. In this neighborhood, the...