Toni Cade Bombara’s “the Lesson” and Amy Tan “two Kinds”

The Lesson of Two Kinds

(Two young females learned valuable life lessons that were taught to them by the ones who cared for them.) ( I fixed it how does it sound) There are many similarities and differences between Toni Cade Bombara’s “The lesson” and Amy Tan “Two Kinds”. They are from two different racial backgrounds where June is an Asian-American and Sylvia is a young African-American. They receive a helping hand pushing them to greatest where one comes from her own home and the other from across the street. Demonstrating how the two young girls are similar, how the women in their lives influenced their upbringing with the results it had on the girls and reading these stories causes readers to think about the people they know with the effect of other men in women with there own lives. These young ladies are in this for a great lesson.

Two sides of the same coin either way they both can win! June and Sylvia both went through a struggle. “ Two Kinds” the protagonist June went through an internal struggle to feel as if she had any self worth. Jing-Mei “June” Woo felt that she would never become the genius that she thought her mother wanted "You want me to be something that I'm not!" I sobbed. "I'll never be the kind of daughter you want me to be!"(pg. 1123 line 78) In “The Lesson” the protagonist Sylvia went through an external struggle of social injustice in the African American population in Harlem, New York (.) (Harlem ) was below the poverty line where the money they could have spent on toys at the store "Imagine for a minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven…”(pg 658 line 45)  (this does not make sense) what are you trying to say  the quote does not fit in well)"other necessities most of them were of food. They both realized that they are both worth more than what they thought they were. The piano that was given to June from her mother represented that it was her trophy her mother said "No, this your piano," she said firmly. "Always your piano. You only one can play"(pg. 1124 line 86) and the daughter was the trophy for her mother because she had lost her twin babies. Sylvia realized that she didn't need to be a specific race to feel accepted. She understood that there is inequality against her but she smart to move out of poverty through education.

Having the proper equipment is just as equal as having the necessary skills. June’s mother gave her daughter a piano with piano lessons to try to build confidence in her to try to get her to think that anything is possible and you don't have to be a genius to accomplish what you put your mind to it her mother told her "Who ask you to be genius?" she shouted. "Only ask you be your best…”(pg. 1120 section 30) After her mother died and she went to the old house she grew up and had the piano tuned she tried playing "Pleading Child" she had failed at during a talent show so many years ago. June played the song and to her surprise it sounded pleasant then she realized that it was only half of a song. she played the second half of song "Perfectly Contented." In that moment the song she had struggled to play represented her and her mother “ I realized they were two halves of the same song.” (pg 1124 section 95 ) Mrs. Morris is trying to show the children what is happening not with just their community but within the United States. The way Sylvia speaks English shows a lack of a proper education “And she was black as hell, cept for her feet…”(pg 654 par. 1) and they seem to have no parental guidance leading them to become more success and push them to achieve more by using the skills used from the basic education. Mrs. Morris instead of saying what is happening sends these children uptown to a toy story to let them experience the cost of living in Harlem to enjoying a toy that cost more than what they all couldn't afford. She give Sylvia the money and asked her to calculate the cab tip “...hands me a five-dollar bill and tells me to calculate 10 percent tip for the driver.”(pg.655 2nd paragraph)  Miss Moore did that on purpose to show them what they perceive as a large amount of money to not being able to enjoy the simple desires of a single toy. The children realize that they are living in poverty when they compare a toy clown to what they could do with the money within their lives “Thirty-five dollars could buy new bunk beds for Junior and Gretchen's boy.” “Thirty-five dollars and the whole household could go visit Grand-daddy Nelson in the country.”(pg.658 line 40). It puts their mind into a different perspective and question why is it that they are living that way.

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