The Lesson, By Toni Bambara And House On Mango Street

For decades history has been repeating itself and in this continuous cycle, poverty does the most spinning. One can grow up in an environment where there is a never ending struggle to achieve â€Å"the American Dream.† Therefore, children see their parents try their hardest to provide for them while obstacles in society deter them. Society has created social classes or groups to categorize people base on their income and soci-economic status. In the stories, â€Å"The Lesson† by Toni Bambara, and â€Å"House on Mango Street† by Sandra Cisneros, these two authors discuss how fulfilling the America Dream is possible once one is willing to work for it. In â€Å"The Lesson,† the author shows how one can alter their circumstances. The story is being told by a young girl name Sylvia; through her observation of living in Harlem, readers are able to get a glance of what kind of environment she and the other children lived in. Sylvia was known to be outspoken and unruly but by Miss Moore taking her and her peers under her wing she made a change for the better. Miss Moore took the children on a trip to an expensive store in Manhattan called F.A.O Swartz where the children saw a variety of toys with expensive price tags. Miss Moore wanted the children to see how wealthy people lived and that the other opportunities out there. This short story shows how the environment contributes to ones determination of achieving the American Dream. Although, Miss Moore was well adjusted to this environment, the