Why does the teacher take her students to the toy store in Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” (1972)? What is the lesson they are meant to learn? Do they learn this lesson? Explain.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: The Lesson Learned: A Critical Analysis of Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson”
Introduction:
Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson” (1972) explores themes of social inequality, education, and the harsh realities faced by marginalized communities. In the story, a group of underprivileged children from Harlem are taken on a field trip to a toy store by their teacher, Miss Moore. This outing serves as a catalyst for a profound lesson about economic disparity and the unequal distribution of wealth in society. This essay will delve into the reasons behind Miss Moore’s decision to take her students to the toy store, the lesson they are meant to learn, and whether they successfully grasp the implications of this lesson.
Thesis Statement:
In “The Lesson,” Miss Moore takes her students to the toy store to expose them to the stark economic disparities that exist in society and to impart a lesson about the realities of inequality and privilege. While the students initially struggle to understand the lesson, their encounter at the store plants seeds of awareness and critical thinking that may shape their perspectives in the future.
Reasons for the Field Trip:
Miss Moore’s decision to take her students to the toy store is driven by her desire to provide them with a firsthand experience of the economic disparities that pervade their lives. Growing up in poverty herself, Miss Moore understands the importance of exposing her students to the realities of wealth and privilege that exist beyond their neighborhood. By taking them to an upscale toy store in downtown Manhattan, she hopes to spark a sense of awareness and critical thinking among her students.
The Lesson Intended:
The lesson that Miss Moore intends for her students to learn is multifaceted. Through their visit to the toy store, she aims to show them the stark contrast between their own limited circumstances and the luxury and abundance enjoyed by affluent individuals. She hopes to instill in them a sense of injustice and a realization that the playing field is not equal for everyone. Additionally, Miss Moore wants her students to question societal structures and power dynamics that perpetuate inequality and disadvantage certain groups.
Students’ Response and Understanding:
Initially, the students struggle to grasp the significance of their trip to the toy store. They are overwhelmed by the extravagant prices of the toys, feeling out of place and uncomfortable in this unfamiliar environment. However, as they observe the disparities between their own lives and those of privileged children, a sense of discontent and indignation begins to brew among them. While they may not fully comprehend the complexities of economic inequality, the experience plants seeds of curiosity and critical thinking that have the potential to shape their perspectives in the future.
Conclusion:
In “The Lesson,” Toni Cade Bambara skillfully portrays the harsh realities of economic inequality through the lens of a group of underprivileged children on a field trip to a toy store. Miss Moore’s intention behind this outing is to expose her students to the disparities that exist in society and to provoke them into questioning the status quo. While the students may not fully grasp the lesson at hand during their visit, the seeds of awareness and critical thinking sown by Miss Moore have the power to germinate into a deeper understanding of inequality and privilege. “The Lesson” serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of education and exposure in fostering empathy, social consciousness, and a drive for change in an unjust world.
