Life's Lessons Essay

Adults rely on the lessons they learned from their parents when they were younger. This means that an individual relies on the guidelines instilled in them by their parents when they were younger, while the values and virtues act as a foundation for the direction they take in life. In the long-term, adults choose how to apply creative and critical thinking skills in their decision-making abilities which shape their characters, despite the lessons instilled in them by their parents when they were children. Lessons taught to children are passed from one generation to another as adults pass the ideas to their children, which helps continue the cycle.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

One of the ideas presented in Girl is that the young woman got lessons about life from her mother who was keen to instill discipline on her child as well as develop thinking skills that would her daughter make decisions later in life when she became older. For instance, the women teachers her daughter how to maintain her smile despite being around friends or strangers, and also avoid getting too comfortable with people that she does not know. Some of the lessons are ridiculous but applicable since the girl is still young and relies on her mother to make decisions (Kincaid 6). For instance, when the mother tells her daughter that she should not squat down to play marbles since she is not a boy. The adult, in this case, is teaching her child how to grow and behave like a woman, which should start from a young age. This helps shape the young girl's character which she will not abandon even when he becomes an adult.

In Lessons, the narrator, a young lady, states of how her parents behaved. The parents' characters have a high probability of shaping the character of their children as opposed to the talks they engage their kids. This is because actions from the parents speak and send concrete messages to the children than their words. For instance, the children's parents engaged in bad mouthing activities against one of their family members and encouraged their kids to be nice. However, the children turned out to be like their parents in character and perception. Mrs. Moore's lessons to Sylvia are intended to help shape her character as a young person and help avoid making the mistakes that others had made in the past (Bambara, 86). Some of the lessons that Miss Moore wants to instill in Sylvia is the need to choose her words right when engaging others in conversations.

In Everyday Use, it is evident that children look up to their parents as a source of inspiration. Maggie and Dee rely on their mother for insights and lessons about life and are proud of their parent despite her character and big size. Despite Maggie's mother being illiterate, she encouraged her children to attend school since it would equip them with skills and knowledge that would help create better opportunities for them in life (Walker 3). The adults are teaching their children on the need to remain financially independent despite the responsibilities they have on their shoulders. For instance, the narrator provides for her two children despite being a single parent. In conclusion, adults have a responsibility of teaching their children lessons about how to face life and remain committed to their goals despite the challenges they may face in life.

Works Cited

Bambara, Toni Cade. "The Lesson." Gorilla, my love (1972): 85-96.

Kincaid, Jamaica. Girl. San Francisco Examiner, 1991.

Walker, Alice. Everyday use. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 2004.