I'm supposed to be writing my first essay for Engl Comp 2 on Toni Cade Bambara's short story, "The Lesson". It's supposed to be a thematic analysis based around the general theme of innocence vs experience. The idea is that we somehow relate this to the idea of economic disparity between the population that lived in teh projects of the Bronx vs the Manhattenites in the late 60's. Also the theme needs to relate to the notion that education can be a bridge to cross that casm dividing the haves from the have-nots.


But what I really want to write about is the sub-theme of delusional satisfaction vs reality dissatisfaction. I want to analyze the very substance of how humans are wont to shoot the messenger, especially when said messenger is the one that throws a monkey wrench in what is otherwise our blissful denial of what is seriously dysfunctional in our lives. The lynching of the wool puller, so to speak. I think that would be a far more relevant analysis.

But I know this professor well enough to know that if I vary too far from what he is looking for he won't even give me a fair evaluation, so I guess, for this one time, I will play by the rules, however distasteful that may be...sigh...