The Coming Of Age Essay -- essays research papers

The Coming of AgeChildhood is a time where children learn about the institution around themselves. They see and experience many factors that influence their everyday lives, which help them grow stronger when they become adults. In Girl by Jamaica Kincaid and The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara the characters within the stories learn worthy lesson with help them grow to become let on separates. In The Lesson the character of Sugar undergoes a realization that society does not treat everyone equally, that not every individual has the same opportunity and equality that they should have. In Girl the main character learns that she must be perceived as a cleaning lady and not as a slut, her mother brings to her attention of how the world is and what she must to do in order to survive in it. Lessons that children learn all help them grow to become better individuals, in Girl and The Lesson the lessons that the characters learn both help them grow to become better and stronger individuals.I n The Lesson the character, Sugar undergoes a realization of the world around her, through her instructor Miss Moore, Sugar notices that there is a better way of living in the world besides, her own little world with her friends. Sugar says, You know, Miss Moore, I dont think that all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs, (Bambara 452). Miss Moore is an African American woman who has broken through the expectation that society has placed on her class and on her color. Bambara presents Miss Moore as a very educated and intelligent woman, who has a college degree. With her experience Miss Moore sets out to educate the deprived and lower classed children and teach them of the world around them. She sets out to open their eyes, as well as their knowledge of the world around them. Miss Moore says, Imagine for a minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a meet what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven. What do you think?, (B ambara 452). Sugars realization of the world outside of her own, opens her mind to many questions that she never imagined before. She realizes that there is a better standard of living in the world and that society is not equal, as it should be, I think, . . . that this is not much of a democracy if y... ...woman and not be viewed as a slut. The daughter in Girl wants to rebel against her mother and not be viewed as a slut to society, therefore hoping that society will not formula down upon her, if she does not do everything that the mother has taught her that she must do. In the stories of the Girl and The Lesson different lessons are learned, precisely the common realization of the world around them is learned by the characters and how each of the characters must learn to rebel against societies views. This realization helps them grow smarter and stronger as they grow older and come of age, from childhood to adulthood. Society has set standards for individuals to live by, but it is up to those individuals to break away, or live by the standards and views of society. It is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to pursue happiness agency an equal crack at the dough, (Bambara 452). In reality, society has set standards for everyone to live by. Those who break away from it are look down upon if they fail, but if they succeed they are praised by, this may be the only way to change societies views of gender, class, and race it is by succeeding in everything that you do.