The Lesson Essays - The Lesson, Teaching, Toni Cade Bambara, Lesson

The Lesson Symbolism and Theme in Bambaras The Lesson Toni Cade Bambara wrote the short story, The Lesson, in 1972. The Lesson is considered by the Literary Canon to be a wonderful work of fiction because of its use of language, humanistic theme, symbolism, and non-genre plot. Two essential elements that add to the depth and enhance a readers comprehension of The Lesson are Bambaras use of symbolism and theme. The Lesson takes place in New Yorks inner city. The fictional story begins with a group of poor, uneducated, lower class city kids standing in front of a mailbox, preparing themselves for another day of being taught by Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Moore felt that it was her duty to help underprivileged children learn because she was one of the only women in the neighborhood to earn a degree. The main character is Sylvia, who tells the story in a first person narrative. Sylvia is a young African American girl, probably around fourteen years old, who is very judgmental about the world around her. By Bambaras choice of words, the reader can tell that she is extremely opinionated, presents a very tough, hostile exterior and not at all happy about having to be taught anything by Mrs. Moore. For instance, she states we kinda hated her too, hated the way we did the winos who cluttered up our parks and pissed on our hand ball walls (Bambara 121). On this hot summer day, Mrs. Moore felt that there was a lesson to learn at FAO Schwartz, a very expensive, upper class toy store in downtown Manhattan. After stepping out of the cab and peering into the window, Sylvia knows that this is not just any toy store and they are not just there for any reason. The reason Mrs. Moore brought the children to FAO Schwartz is captured in Bambara's use symbolism. Outside of the toyshop the children glare at a number of very expensive toys. Some of them include a paperweight and a sailboat. Initially, none of the children, especially Sylvia, knew what the paperweight was. She says to herself that my eyes tell me its a chunk of glass cracked with something heavy, and different-color inks dripped into the splits, then the whole thing put into a oven or something. But for $480 it dont make sense (Bambara 123). After Mrs. Moore explains what it is, the children still cannot comprehend its use or the price. Bambara uses the paperweight to symbolize importance. A paperweight is used to hold something that is of value, something that someone wishes not to lose. The children have never known or owned something that is precious. At the same time, the paperweight can symbolize that their living in the slums and never reaching out for something more can be holding them down. They are the important ones under that paperweight. A better life, one in which their basic needs are met, costs a price- one that they are not use to. To them, $400 is a lifes worth of work and unfathomable. The price of their future is going to have be something that they will have to strive for and open their minds past their current dwellings. Similarly, the sailboat is also used by Bambara to represent freedom and the journey that lies in front of them. The journey into Manhattan was only a cab ride away. However, it was only a temporary chance for the children to see this type of life. If Sylvia or the other children wished to permanently escape the world of poverty they came from, they would have to realize that it wasnt going to be easy. There are many steps along the way and to complete them, they would have to be educated. It would be just the same for someone who wanted to sail, they would have to first learn how. Sylvia, astonished by the price, cannot understand why someone would pay that much when my sailboat cost me about fifty cents (Bambara 124). The question is then- would she always be happy settling for less? Or did she even realize that she might be settling? Bambara raises interesting thoughts with the use of symbolism. Another element of literature

Increasing Knowledge Increases Sorrow †Philosophy Essay

Increasing Knowledge Increases Sorrow – Philosophy Essay Free Online Research Papers Increasing Knowledge Increases of Philosophy Essay Since the time of Greek Mythology to the world we live in today, the increase of knowledge is the increase in sorrow. Without a doubt the words â€Å"For in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow,† from the chapter Ecclesiastes in the Bible are true and can be clearly shown through brooks, people, and technology. In reading about Greek Mythology you can infer that the Gods punish humans by inflecting knowledge upon them. Prometheus gave humans fire and with this increase in knowledge humans began to start wars. Hephaestus was a great jewelry maker and Hera was unaware this. She ended up throwing him away into the ocean. There a Water Nymph saved Hephaestus and he began making her jewelry. One day on Olympus the Gods had a party and that Water Nymph was wearing the jewelry Hephaestus made her. When Hera found out it was Hephaestus she felt grief for the rest of the party. Another source of literature with sorrow as the outcome of knowledge is the Bible. Adam and Eve were punished by God by the knowledge they gained. Eve was informed by the serpent that if she were to eat the â€Å"forbidden fruit† she would become just as powerful as God. After Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit God had separated the two and given them what they deserved. Another story from the Bible that imposes the same concept would be Nowak’s Ark. God told Nowak that a big storm would come and he needed to get two of every animal to put them on an Ark. Nowak’s knowledge of this storm gave him sorrow because of the work load he had to do, but on top of that would be the fact that people thought he was insane. Also people in general with the increase of knowledge come with the increase of sorrow. Bill Gates for example, his knowledge about computers led him to become the rich man he is today, but with that he deals with people pointing fingers and talking bad about him. Leonardo da Vinci was another man who had an accentual amount of knowledge on science. His ideas about helicopters and parachutes were extremely ahead of his time. Although these ideas were so great people didn’t understand him and thought he was crazy. Da Vinci wasn’t liked very much and that was his sorrow for his knowledge. Technology is by far on top of anything else dealing with the increase of knowledge is the increase in sorrow. Weapons, of any type, thought up through knowledge bring pain, sorrow, grief, and suffering. The â€Å"A-Bomb† was thought up to be the best inventions of its time. With the knowledge of its extensive power the military used it and the results clearly fit the description of sorrow. Now â€Å"A-Bombs†, â€Å"H-Bombs†, and other forceful weapons are not the issue. Biological weapons are now what technology’s knowledge has led to. These great weapons are why we live in sorrow today. War is not the only area of science technology has gotten its hands on. Medical discoveries that have been found have made people sorrowful. The discovery of AIDS has defiantly put a black scar on people. People use to go everyday with a sickness and never knew about it but today, with every test â€Å"under the sun† available, people know exactly what is wrong wit h them and that puts them in worry. In conclusion the words â€Å"For in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow,† from the Bible are true and are clearly shown. With the knowledge of when you will die will effect the decisions you make up until that day; living your life in grief. Research Papers on Increasing Knowledge Increases Sorrow - Philosophy EssayHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XStandardized TestingGenetic EngineeringComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self

Adult and Community Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adult and Community Education - Essay Example Adult and Community Education helps in reduction of the obstacles which are faced by several people while aiming to access education and training so as to achieve occupational talents and qualifications. Other people may find Adult and Community Education courses to be rewarding because of the fact that they can achieve more personal or communal aims. Adult and Community Education proves to be a fine alterative for grown-ups who aim for informal type of learning. Sargant presented a study of UK provision according to which one of six persons try to gain knowledge informally; that may be at home, at vocation, or anywhere else (1991: 15).The literature and the practice of Adult and Community Education also include target groups. This is particularly the case in Australia (Sheared & Sissel, 2001). These target groups are conventionally seen as minorities, or those persons who have been disenfranchised due to past circumstances of domination and segregation. The idea of target groups hap pens to be a main principle of Australian educational policy and lies on the supposition of a steady core. The Australian Adult and Community Education (ACE) policy recognizes certain classes of adults who are not properly represented in employment and training. They require additional sufficient and approachable stipulation so as to assist them in fulfilling their needs. The categories are (Adult, Community and Further Education, 2004): Koories; Men aged over 45; People with a disability; People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; Young people aged15 and over; and People aged over 55 These groups of people specifically require Adult and Community Education so as to help them on with surviving properly. Adult and Community Education results in plenty of advantages for the learners and they have major impact on their development. For example, Adult and Community Education can lead to social and economic welfare of people as well as the communities, it can produce social output and lifelong learning can be promoted through Adult and Community Education (Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia, n.d.). Therefore, it is important that equity groups also get an equal chance in participating in Adult and Community Education so as to improve themselves. For this reason there are boards and groups that enable this. One such is the Adult, Community and Further Education Board (ACFE) which encourages education and training for a variety of people, along with specially focussing on those who are included in the equity groups, that is, those who do not have full access to education. Around 450 community-owned and directed organisations are entitled to pass over adult and community education with ACFE Board funding. The government assists in Adult and Community Education provision. Since quite a few years the government has engaged itself a lot in Adult and Community Education, and it did this by providing the organisations with enough funds so as to allow them to educate the people. This has been very important and has enabled to broaden the position of Adult and Communi