The Morale of Lazy Lawrence - Essay Example

Is the Story “Lazy Lawrence” Intended to Teach Children or Their Parents? The story is meant to teach lessons and inspire children like Lawrence who used to be lazy lads as well as adults such as Lawrence’s father to realize shortfalls and take action to change unpleasant old habits thereafter. As the narrative begins with the story of Jem, it is said that his mother Preston, an obliging good-humored widow, is known to have tended her garden of strawberries very diligently until she caught an illness one autumn.

In this fashion, her son Jem, being the story’s protagonist for the most part, is introduced for the purpose that the readers may well distinguish between the ‘good’ qualities of youth and those that are rather ‘unbecoming’. Reading is likely guided to acquire a sufficient amount of insight by initially establishing how a morally sound and industrious character is properly carried out in the means employed by Jem as he struggles to keep Lightfoot from being sold to Farmer Truck. Young readers would learn that besides the industry attached to Jem’s good traits, he also embodies a kind of child who at such a tender age manages to express concern and maturity over matters which only adults are inclined to deal with in most cases.

When the elderly woman explained to her son that debts ought to be paid honestly at the expense of Lightfoot, after a few moments of silence, Jem exhibits determination in responding with “Two guineas, that's a great, great deal -- If I worked, and worked, and worked ever so hard, I could no ways  earn two guineas afore Monday fortnight..” At this stage, the audience is obtaining a picture of a young individual who has grown fond of love that he could not afford to let go of the horse that is largely precious to him so Jem starts demonstrating a potential to be resourceful by seeking an alternative to earning the amount by which to prevent Lightfoot’s trade.

In the process, Jem’s experience of considering broader options and having several acquaintances along the way enables him to explore possibilities to reach his goal especially as he meets with the workman, the sailors who ask him to carry parcels, and finally the lady by whom his fossils are bought. This portion of the story is able to teach children that regardless of age, level of knowledge, or status in society, anyone may see the light of hope and achieve desired ends with humility and great determination.

As a result, the lady does not only get to buy the desperate boy’s stones, Jem earns her trust further by becoming a paid employee tasked to weed her shrubberies so he can gradually come up with the two guineas needed for his mother’s rent. Saying “you know there is a great deal of difference between picking up a few stones, and working steadily every day, and all day long” implies ‘reaping what has been sown’ or that the degree of reward for work depends upon how much one has invested in it.

On the contrary, the attitude of extreme idleness as perceived through the character of Lawrence is injected every after a good attribute is discussed in order for readers to have a solid grasp of the benefits of ‘industriousness’ as opposed to ‘indolence’ which lazy Lawrence shows all the while prior to the incident that is bound to transform his misbehavior. It turns out that the author utilizes many of the qualities that belong to Jem so that Lawrence himself, on fully understanding this, comes to his senses and feels the guilt after stealing the other boy’s monetary sum of hardships.

Though his father confronts humiliation upon discovery of his child’s weakness, the turn of events has equivalently taught him to accept and treat his own defect of spoiling Lawrence, admitting “It’s all my fault. I brought him up in idleness.”