Symbolism In Christmas Eve At Johnson's Drugs N Goods?

In the early 1970’s when many African American writers were determined to define black art by their own benefit and take away its real standards (Rambsy). “A great essayist, novelist, professor, short story writer, and filmmaker, Toni Cade Bambara, who was born March 25, 1939 as Miltonia Mirkin Cade in New York City” (Horsley). “She became a great leader for many female voices during the movement, Bambara placed a special emphasis in her writing on black females-both girls and women” (Rambsy). In many of her short stories, Bambara faced a similar experience herself. One of Bambara’s famous short stories is “Christmas Eve at Johnson’s Drugs N Goods.” The protagonist, Candy is a single child, who feels lonely because none of her parents live …show more content…
It gives the reader get a better picture of how it was in 1970’s in dressing or places. In “Christmas Eve at Johnson’s Drugs N Goods” Bambara used a fur coat, that the antagonist was wearing, as a symbol. In the story it was clear that the antagonist was all about her fur coat. She was walking with elegance down the aisles while her friend Ethel was picking and checking prices on the items. In the story the fur coat in some way showed power to the antagonist (Bambara “Christmas” 202). The fur coat also reminded Candy of her mother, when her mother would wear it on special occasion. In “The Lesson” Bambara used an expense toy store named F.A.O. Schwartz in Midtown Manhattan as a symbol. F.A.O. Schwartz was used to demonstrate Sylvia and the kids the division between the higher and lower class people. Sylvia didn’t understand why her teacher Miss Moore would take them there at first. She and the kids was surprise to see the value, of a toy sailboat that cost one thousand dollars (Bambara “The Lesson” 247). Later on, Sylvia and the kids learn that the different classes don’t matter because anyone could have what they desire. It might be more work for the lower class people to have it, but as long as they work for it. They will achieve it. In both stories “Christmas Eve at Johnson’s Drugs N Goods” and “The Lesson” the symbols were used to demonstrate the differences between the higher and lower class. It shows how wealth people waste their money an expense fur coat or a one thousand sailboat toy in F.A.O. Schwartz. The differences in these stories is that the fur coat in “Christmas Eve at Johnson’s Drugs N Goods” was used to describe the antagonist in the story. The reader got an idea of how the women was throughout the whole story. The F.AO. Schwartz was used to give the students a valuable lesson. Give Sylvia and the kids an idea of how much things really cost and that everyone deserves it no