The Human Comedy: Who Teaches Whom? Children learn everything they need to survive in today's culture from their parents. The monkey sees the monkey do. As children's minds develop and grow, all they know is the world of their family and perhaps some other adults. Everything that children catch in their eyes and ears teaches them another lesson. Adults can teach people how to care for the sick, hospitality and good manners, but they can also convey racist opinions and preconceived ideas. They seem to focus on death, war, and financial problems; all present in the daily lives of the characters in William Saroyan's novel, The Human Comedy. These problems can completely overwhelm the mind, body and soul of busy men and women. Adults should take a second and look at their sons and daughters who have so much more to teach but not enough pride and experience to lecture them on their brilliant ideas. According to Saroyan, children are the experts in living life, while adults have greater knowledge of death. Children take time to recognize the small joys of life and therefore can experience life with useful meaning. Adults have gained the experience to educate children to face sadness and humble distant hopes and dreams. Characters like Mrs. Macauley, Miss Hicks, and Mr. Spangler all play important roles in teaching vital lessons. Even adults, in this novel, give some guidance on how to truly live life, while many adults do not follow these teachings at all. To survive the severe ups and downs of our fluctuating world, adults and children must teach and learn from each other. Adults have the benefit of a type of wisdom earned through experience. Americans have learned to treat others with equal respect and to accept others' beliefs. After the conflicting identities of Hubert Ackley and Homer Macauley are called after school, Miss Hicks admits that she "isn't [keeping Homer] in for punishment, but for instruction" (56). The strict teacher just wants her "children to be people" (56). Saroyan, through Miss Hicks, explains that children "will be truly human when, despite natural dislike for each other, [they] continue to respect each other" (56). This level-headed, well-intentioned teacher tries to share her personal knowledge with Homer. He doesn't just teach with the text, chapter after chapter, but tries to spread his experience of what civilized means.