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What is the primary lesson the narrator learned in 'Primary Lessons' about why she was chosen to host the PTA show over another boy?
Quick answer:
The primary lesson the narrator learns in "Primary Lessons" is about the complexity of identity and cultural influences. Chosen to host the PTA show over another boy, she realizes that her selection is influenced by her multicultural background and ability to meet adult expectations. This experience highlights her understanding of being shaped by diverse cultural and identity groups, including language, ethnicity, and social class, and the need to navigate these influences in her life.
This story by Judith Ortiz Cofer can cover a lot of different themes. There's more than just one lesson in this piece, and there are many ways to analyze "Primary Lessons."
One of the most universal themes covered in this story is the loss of childhood. The story is about a young girl who is headed to the first day of school after a wonderful summer. Almost anyone can identify with this. We've all had first days of school, and we've all felt the fear and disappointment of going back to school at the end of summer.
However, there are also more specific themes in this story, like language and culture. The narrator is multi-cultural and has lived both in Puerto Rico and in New Jersey. She has grown up between two very different worlds and is still learning how to combine the two, as well as how to resign herself to always being a little different than the other kids.
She is afraid of school because most kids don't like school, but she's also afraid because going to school in Puerto Rico means she is not going to school in New Jersey, which is familiar. The first day of school symbolizes a permanent change in her life and means that she has to, once again, figure out which language she can associate with school and which language belongs to home.
One way to interpret this story is to see it as a tale about a person who is part of a multitude of cultures and identity groups. The young girl who is the protagonist of the narrative is simultaneously (1) a girl; (2) a Puerto Rican; (3) part of the middle class; (4) light-skinned rather than dark-skinned; (5) a sometime resident of New Jersey; (6) a member of a particular family composed of particular personalities; (7) a primary school student; (8) a speaker of Spanish; (9) a speaker of English; and the list could go on. The important point is that she is shaped by all these different cultures and identities, some of which are in conflict and some of which are in harmony with one another. One "lesson" the girl seems to learn is that she is indeed affected by all these distinct influences. Another lession she learns is that because she is a child, she must meet the expectations of adults.
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