Athalia Mclean
Professor Thomas
English 150
11 March 2016 Overcoming life Growing up we all has our childhood struggles that we aren't in crony too of. Although things are out of our hands we have the power to change them. For some this change is so imperative they can't but attacks it head on. In “The House on Mango Street “ by Sandra Cisneros and “The Lesson “ by Tori Cade Bambara both characters are made aware of their social status. Despite both being bothered by it one decides to take it initiative, while the other accepts it.

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara Sylvia was challenged by Mrs. Moore when she took them on a field trip to F.O.A Schwarz and introduced them to life outside of their neighborhood. The children were not used to this this type of environment to they felt out of place. When they arrived to a popular toy store Sylvia was afraid to go inside, while the other children Boldly step past her. As they embark upon the pricey merchandise they question how people can afford these items. Bambara writes “ Who are these people that spend that much for clowns and 1,000 for toy sail boats? What kind of work do they do and how do they live and how come we ain't in on it ?” (335) In that moment the thought triggers in Sylvia mind, why are these people able to buy such expensive things and why are we not on that level. She started to become aware of the social economic Hierarchy, and the imbalance of wealth being spread amount people. This is where Sylvia begins to unravel the true meaning of this trip. Towards the end of the trip Mrs. Moore asks the children if they have learned anything for their experience. Sylvia friend Sugar explains a similar idea that both her and Sylvia shared. She tried to stop her friend because she does not want to give Mrs. Moore the satisfaction that she also has gained a valuable lesson from this trip. Although it was other kids on the trip is was Sylvia who really took into consideration what she saw. Barbara States “We started down the block and she gets ahead which is OK by me cause where I’m going to the west end and then over to the drive think this day through. She can run if she wants to and even run faster. But isn’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin”(336). Sylvia realized there was no time to sit around and wait for change. She must find a way to see how she is going to fix the issues of her economic status, and no longer be that girl living in Harlem. Sylvia sees there is more to life that just waking up and playing on the block. There is a world greater out there than the poverty area she was used to, and she knew she had to do whatever it takes to experience the high life.

The “House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros the narrator began to describe her gruesome living conditions. Just as Sylvia from in “The Lesson” both characters grew up in poor neighborhoods. She describes Loomis the house she lived in before Mango Street, and how any relatives lived there. Cisneros writes “The house on Mango Street is ours, and we don’t have to pay rent to anybody, or share the yard with the people downstairs, or be careful not making too much noise, and there isn’t a landlord banging on the ceiling with a broom” (391). The narrator feels confident in her new change of location; she appreciates the house on Mango Street way more than Loomis. Even though the house on Mango Street isn’t their dream house it was small step towards the house of their dreams. In both stories the characters are made aware of their social stature. Neither characters seemed to mind how they were living until someone came and pointed it out. We see in “The lesson” Mrs. Moore took them into the city allowing them to see the change in environment. But in “The House On Mango Street” it took the nun to point out the characters living conditions. Cisneros states, “Where do you live? She asked. There, I said pointing to the third floor. You live there? There. I had to look to where she pointed – the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the windows so we wouldn’t fall out. . You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing. There. I lived there. I nodded”(392). The nun`s there left a lasting impression on the narrator. The one word made her realize that her circumstances were so bad and she needed to make a change.
Although both characters share similar same economic issues one decides to address the issue now rather than wait. The major difference between the two characters is they chose to change their situation. Sylvia is less passive than the charactering house of Mango Street. As soon as she leaves her fields trip runs of to think about how she is going to change her life for the future. Unlike the narrator in “the House on Mango Street” she puts off addressing her living conditions for a later date. For Sylvia the need for change was so important it couldn’t wait another day. Both character are struck into a sense of reality but one remains still in a dream. Cisneros states” Our house would be white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass frowning with a fence. This was the house Papa talked about when he held a lottery ticket and this was the house Mama dreamed up in the stories she told us before we went to bed”(392). The narrator continuously speaks about the dreams house she has for the future. Throughput the story they are moving to different home that hasn’t been anything like their dream house yet. Towards the end where she has the chose to come into reality with her circumstance, she puts it off for a later time still holding on to the thought that where they are living now is temporary rather than permanent. Sylvia doesn’t wait to see what the future may hold, but starts to think how she can change it so her outcome is definite.
The characters in both stories are faced with life’s problems at a very early age. One chose to make a change from early while the other endured it. In life everyone has a situation but you always have the power to change it. Sometimes it takes someone to bring to help you become aware of the issue, but its up to you to solve it.