In the stories "The Lesson- and "Good Country People,"" the protagonists undergo a change in the way they are due to events that happen in the story. The authors of both the stories prepare the readers for the events that the protagonists are about to encounter.
"The Lesson- is written in first person through Sylvia's eyes. Sylvia comes off like a tough girl; she wants to be better then everyone else. Sylvia is very nave and ignorant to the world outside of her neighborhood. We see this when Miss Moore is telling the children that they all live in the slums and how they are all poor and Sylvia just doesn't understand what she is talking about. Sylvia gets to FAO Schwartz thinking that she is better than everyone else and that everyone lives the way she does. .
"Good Country People- is written in third person point of view. Hulga is the protagonist in the story. Hulga feels out of place and miserable where she is; she has no social life at all. Hulga's mom, Mrs. Hopewell is a very happy and optimistic person; she has good things to say about everyone. Mrs. Hopewell is always saying cliché statements making her seem like a very boring person. Hulga felt that she was smarter then everyone else and that it wouldn't take much for her to outsmart them.
While Sylvia is at FAO Schwartz she feels uncomfortable. She knows she has the right to be there just like everyone else but she feels like she shouldn't be there. During this experience we come to realize that Sylvia is finally not as sure about herself in this store as she was back in her neighborhood and this is something that upsets her very much so she needs to go and be by herself and think about it instead of enjoying her extra $4 with Sugar.
Hulga's decision to go out with Manley is astonishing in itself due to the fact that she doesn't go out at all. Hulga feels that she is smarter then him and can easily take him away from his principles because of her superior intelligence.