Primary Lesson is a memoir by Judith Ortiz Cofer about her childhood. Judith was a 1st grade schoolgirl. At first, she did not want to go to school because she wanted to continue living “the summer dream”. She protested against her going to school where she would be taught Spanish, saying that her father would be angry because he wanted the whole family to speak fluent English. Then she tried to ask about her little brother, and her mother objected that he was too young to go to school. At school, the children would have to learn English because Puerto Rico was now a territory of the United States. There, Judith was the teacher’s pet, but she did not do anything to earn the teacher’s love. Meanwhile, there was an African American boy in Judith’s class who also turned out to be the teacher’s pet. However, unlike Judith, he did anything to win support from the teachers. The teachers realized that he was perfect in any way, except for the fact that his family could not afford him a uniform. So, they decided to ask Judith’s family to provide him with one.
One’s race or gender should not determine his/her place in society. People should judge somebody based on their personality and capabilities, not their appearance alone. In the story, the US government wanted to prepare the island territory of Puerto Rico for statehood. To do that, the US officials believed that they had to turn the island into an English-speaking territory. Thus, they enforced a law that students had to study a certain amount of English to graduate. Unfortunately, this took up time from other subjects, such as the students’ language or their culture. The American government was going against its own reputation. After all, America was often considered a “melting pot” of cultures, where each individual added a bit of their own to society. Now, the government was simply trying to crowd out the Spanish culture and language rather than attempting to fuse them with the rest of society. We should accept others as part of society as everybody has certain strengths that are independent of their ethnic or sexual identity.
Education plays a huge role in our lives, as it not only teaches us, but allows us to socialize and make friends. At school, we learn a variety of subjects to prepare us for the real world and we also meet other people, who could end up being our life-long friends. In the story, Judith was a 1st grade schoolgirl who was about to go back to school after the summer break. At first, she did not want to do it, coming up with all sorts of excuses such as not being able to speak Spanish or pointing to her little brother who was still playing. She was forced to go by her mother. At school, there was very little mention of the subjects she learned, but she did study English as it was required under the law that students study a certain amount of English to be eligible to graduate. Moreover, she overheard the teachers discussing another student who needed a school uniform. Judith was able to learn and socialize at her school.
Poverty is a big problem in society, but if humans have enough compassion to help those in need, it will become less serious. People can help others by having compassion and donating to others in need. In the story, Judith’s class had two teacher’s pets, herself, and an African American boy named Lorenzo. Lorenzo would do anything for a smile, while Judith did not have to do anything to earn the teacher’s support. Unfortunately for Lorenzo, his family could not afford to buy him a school uniform. The teachers decided to meet with Judith and her mother because they had enough money to buy Lorenzo a uniform. Judith overheard the conversation so her mother had her prepare ahead of time. One of the teachers commented that “Lorenzo would look like a fly drowned in a glass of milk”. When Judith asked her mother about it, she said that it simply meant Lorenzo would stand out from the others. Lorenzo did not have a school uniform and his family could not buy him one, but Judith’s family could. There are many people who do not have enough money to meet basic necessities, but others can help them if they have a kind enough heart.
Primary Lessons by Judith Ortiz Cofer is a memoir taking place when Judith was a 1st grade schoolgirl. Initially, she did not want to go to school because she still felt like living the so-called “summer dream”. However, no matter how many excuses she came up with, her mother still sent her to school. At school, Judith was the teacher’s pet, even though she did not do anything to earn the teacher’s support. In class, there was an African American boy and he also turned out to be the teacher’s pet. However, unlike Judith, he would do anything to “earn a smile from the teacher.” This story teaches us that first, one’s race or gender has minimal influence on his/her talents and abilities, and therefore one should not judge others based on their appearance. Second, education plays a huge role in our lives, as it allows us to learn and also socialize with others. Finally, society can overcome poverty by helping those in need.
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