What does a child need to understand the concepts of social inequality and the understanding of poverty? The importance of education seems to be overlooked by young people without realizing its value for economic success. The story also portrays the inner vulnerability of children as they become aware of unknown truths. The Lesson is a short story written by Toni Cade Bambara, about low-income children learning a valuable lesson that applies to today's society. Miss Moore, who takes on the responsibility of educating the children, takes them to a toy store that is beyond their dreams but financially unattainable at their age. Children in particular, Sylvia was more aware of her situation and social status in society in the process. The themes presented in this story are social inequality, the unexpressed problem of poverty, the importance of education and, finally, awareness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Social inequality still exists in today's society, in fact, studies reveal that the income gap continues to grow between the rich and the poor according to the New York Times article. “Imagine for a moment 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 people.” This expresses how income has been unevenly distributed among many people, especially low-income families. “The higher the U.S. income group, the larger the share of that income comes from investment profits. In contrast, Americans who are not among the ultra-rich get the vast majority of their income from wages and salaries. This disparity has significantly contributed to increasing inequality due to the preferential tax treatment of long-term capital gains.” This affirms the growing problem of social inequality among the United States, the real question is: how will society deal with it now? It seems like the likelihood of change is slim, but at least being aware of the problem can change our minds about capitalism in today's society. Poverty, the condition of being extremely poor. Poverty can also be defined as the human condition of not being able to obtain or provide a standard level of food, water, and shelter. “And then it gets to the part where we're all poor and living in slums that I don't talk about.” This shows, in the story, that Sylvia is not aware that her community lives in poverty as she is still not at all aware of her surroundings and does not know why things are the way they are around her. This further demonstrates the lack of knowledge he had of the situation in his community. “Poverty does not affect all demographics equally. For example, in 2018, 10.6% of men and 12.9% of women lived in Poverty USA. Similarly, the poverty rate for married couples in 2018 was only 4.7%, but the poverty rate for single-parent families with no wife present was 12.7% and for single-parent families with no husband present was 24.9%. In 2018, the poverty rate for people with disabilities was 25.7%. These are almost 4 million people living with a disability, in conditions of poverty." This demonstrates the growing problem of poverty in our society in the United States alone. The illusion that everything is fine in our society is masked by social media so as not to make us aware of the situation, for example Instagram is perfect for showing people's lives more than they actually are. In most cases, The Lesson, by Toni CadeBambara, opens the topic perfectly by bringing up the topic throughout the story, clearly stating that the children are from low income families living in poverty. Poverty in today's society should not be ignored or distorted to make it appear less severe than it actually is. The importance of education seems to be ignored by young people without realizing even more its value for economic success in today's society. Many can say that Nowadays, young people don't see the value in education with so much technology or social media. It's easy to say that many believe they can get rich through Instagram or Facebook without educating themselves first. According to Dosomething.org, approximately 1.2 million students drop out of high school each year in the United States alone. "What kind of work do they do and how do they live and why are we not affected by it? - The poor need to wake up." This expresses the question of what people should be aware of to strive for better opportunities, using their own resources to educate themselves and move forward, only then there would be a chance to achieve the pursuit of happiness and democracy. Education increases income. Workers with less than a high school diploma earn more on average than those with a high school diploma, earning up to 5.4%, according to smart assets, an article by Columbia graduate Amelia Josephson and in Oxford. , as well as writing on financial literacy topics. This shows how education plays an important role in getting better opportunities from general or higher education. Miss Moore in the story is a perfect example of what is offered here in the United States, which is free education. However, it is up to young people to learn its value and why education is important. Finally, the other theme presented in “The Lesson” is very interesting; inner vulnerability. Inner vulnerability means being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. “I kind of hold back. Not that I'm afraid, what is there to fear, just a toy store. But I feel strange, too bad. But what should I be ashamed of? I have the right to enter like anyone else. Sylvia in the story portrays herself as a sophisticated, intelligent, strong and fearless individual. However, this is not the case, she clearly states that she feels ashamed and intimidated by her new surroundings, which is an expensive toy store in an upper class community. As we all know, humans like to adapt to their environment so as not to feel out of place, we may be afraid of what others may say or feel. “The association with vulnerability requires a shift in awareness to strengthen your emotional well-being. It is useless to erect barricades around yourself while at the same time hoping that others will see the flower that blooms inside you. The wall you build prevents your true nature from being known to others. This explains that without inner vulnerability, people may not grow emotionally to thrive in their environment for the better. For example, Sylvia's inner vulnerability not only taught her a lesson about her surroundings, but also gave her a different perspective. Whatever she chooses to do with what she learned from the lesson is up to her, but she is now more aware than before. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay What does it take for a child to understand the concepts of social inequality and understanding poverty? Experience. The importance of education, of inner vulnerability, is linked to social inequality and the full understanding of, 37(9),.