Social Class In The Lesson By Toni Bambara

Both of the short stories The Lesson and Puppy complement each other in a way of how middle and upper class individuals look down upon the lower class individuals. Meaning people view wealth as a standard and if you do not meet that particular standard, then you are looked down upon by others. The fact behind both the short stories hint at how society judges a book by its cover or other individuals in this case. The two short stories is a perfect example to be appreciative for what you have in life. These distinctions are based on how much wealth people have including the nature of poverty and injustice. The significance of the title, The Lesson by Toni Bambara, is that the kids in the story are taught a lesson through Miss Moore, a college graduate, about class distinctions in the society. This story is told in the first person point of view through Sylvia the main character. She is a young girl living in a poor area of New York City. She and her friends have developed their ways to cope with life. One of the lessons Miss Moore has taught the children is to be grateful for what you have. So when Sylvia says “what kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain’t in on it?” This indicates that she to understand how people acquires wealth and she wants to enjoy the same

The Puppy short story provides insight into the livelihood of others’ cultural and societal backgrounds. It also looks into what contemporary American literature is and how it functions within the domain in which it is written. Saunders’ short story is a perfect example of the way that American society looks down upon the lower classes and thereby rejecting all that they offer. This view of the different classes standard carries over into all aspects of life, even if it has nothing to do with the helpless and harmless puppy but more with family