White People Crazy

The general theme presented in "The Lesson" was an insider's realization of the class system in America. I feel as though the reactions presented in the characters of the children in this story are not entirely unfounded based on the fact that the only life they have ever known is one of poverty, and along with this the only actions they have grown accustomed to are the ones associated with living a life on this level. Sugar's question, "Can we steal?" goes along with just such a situation where a group of impovereshed children are brought to a store such as F.A.O. Schwartz. I remember going there as a child, and although I never actually did, I considered stealing items even coming from a fairly well-off family. However, I also remember how empty the items there were. They had a fairly impressive price tag on them, but the Porche 911 radio-controlled car that I got from there (cost about $70, could've gotten it elsewhere for less than half this), only lasted me 3 days. In retrospect, this money could've been used for much more useful things. On a final note, it's important to be aware of one's situation, so you can decide what steps need to be taken should you be able to improve on it.