Compare and contrast Toni Cade Bambaras The Lesson and ZZ Packers Brownies Free Essay Example, 1000 words

â€Å"That this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough, dont it? † (Bambara). This question by Sugar, friend of Sylvia sums up the lesson the children learnt that day. Sylvia also recognizes the fact but she hesitates to express it. On the other hand Laura in the story â€Å"Brownies† puts across her feelings frankly. She lived in an area where she never felt the presence of whites in her world, â€Å"When you lived in the south suburbs of Atlanta, it was easy to forget about whites. Whites were like those baby pigeons: real and existing, but rarely seen or thought about†. (Packer). She is disturbed by the threatening of white girls by her friends when she comes to know that they are mentally handicapped. It is at this moment she realizes how much the blacks have suffered at the hands of whites, she apprehends the reason behind her friends’ actions for they have been so abused that they don’t want to miss a chance to affront the whites. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast Toni Cade Bambara's The Lesson and ZZ Packer's Brownies or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Another event that shaped her belief is when her father has asked the Mennonite family to paint his porch. Laurel’s father later told her that he did this as it was the only chance for him to make the whites work for the blacks. The role of an adult, her father was significant in influencing Laurel’s thoughts about racism. In the same the way the role of Miss Moore was decisive in making Sylvia realize the pathetic state of her life, â€Å"Where we are is who we are, Miss Moore always pointin out†. (Bambara). Miss Moore made her aware of the gap that existed between lives of the whites and the blacks. Differences The first and foremost difference between the two protagonists is their willingness to accept the realities of their world. Sylvia feels the difference between her life and life of the whites in terms of wealth but she never reveals it, â€Å"And somethin weird is goin on, I can feel it in my chest†. (Bambara). She keeps to herself what she is thinking after returning from the toy shop whereas Laurel divulges her insight, when in the end she tells that there is â€Å"something mean in the world†. (Packer). Laurel becomes conscious of the fact that the blacks have been maltreated by the whites to such an extent that the blacks are suspicious of all the whites. She understands the true meaning of racism and how one race is mistreating another race just because the color of their skin is dark. Sylvia also wonders how these whites are able to live lavishly when they are struggling to meet their basic needs, â€Å"Who are these people that spend that much for performing c lowns and $1000 for toy sailboats