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Poverty and Education

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Submitted By antalia79
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Our children’s education plays an important and vital role in their future success. Children however, sometimes make no attempt to acquire much knowledge, primarily because they do not realize the necessity of a proper education. Moreover, the issue of poverty prevents children from acquiring an effective education. In the literary work "The Lesson", Toni Cade Bambara describes the difficulties of growing up as poor children. She goes on to point out the power of education for them. Education is empowerment for children living in poverty because it helps them to understand the disadvantages of their poor life in comparison to the rich and shows that effective knowledge is the way to overcome poverty. Additionally, a proper education can inspire children to strive even harder for their success.

In “The Lesson”, the author reveals to the reader the disadvantages of poverty in relationship to wealth through Ms. Moore's lesson. Ms. Moore chooses to take a group of children to the luxury FAO Schwarz toy store in order to show them the difference between rich and poor lives. She knows that the trip is only a chance to let children see another side of life in the same city and helps them realize the disadvantages of their poor life. Through the narration of Silvia, a leader of the group, a reader can imagine the low quality of the children’s lives. At the beginning of the trip Moore talks to the children about the value of money. She discusses the amount of money their parents make, and how much their lifestyle requires to spend: “So we heading down the street and she's boring us silly about what things cost and what our parents make and how much goes for rent.” (348). Moore points out the level of poverty in which the children live. It becomes more evident when the children describe their study areas at home. Just one of the children has a desk which can

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