“The Lesson” is a short story by Toni Cade Bambara. The story is about a group of children who are taken to a toy store by their teacher, Miss Moore. The children are from a poor neighborhood and have never been to a toy store before. Miss Moore tries to teach them a lesson about money and how to spend it wisely. The children don’t seem to understand the lesson and just want to buy the most expensive toys they can find.
Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” is about educating teenagers about all the possibilities life has to offer, with a lesson on social class and having a choice in society you want to live in. Miss. Moore, who is tasked with instructing the youngsters, has goals beyond simply taking them to the store for fun.
The story opens up with a group of kids playing around in Central Park, having what seems like the time of their lives. Thestores which caught their attention were more for show and not for actually purchasing anything. The children didn’t seem to understand the true value of money, as they had no concept of it being earned through hard work.
The lesson that Miss Moore taught her young students was eye opening, and changed their perspectives entirely. She allowed them to see that there are people in this world who have to work day and night just to make enough money to keep themselves alive, and that life isn’t always a game. The kids learns that they should be grateful for what they have and not take it for granted.
The author’s incorporation of symbolism throughout “The Lesson” is one of the key aspects that contribute to the story’s depth and enhance a reader’s comprehension of it. Sylvia, the narrative’s protagonist, is a natural leader. She enjoys being in control of what her friends think and do.
Sylvia loathes the idea of having Miss Moore impact her life. A new kind of black woman is introduced in this tale: Miss Moore has no first name but is always addressed using her title. She has “nappy hair and good speech with no face makeup” (98)
The other children in the neighborhood are afraid of her. The kids think that maybe she is a witch because of the way she looks. The first time they see her, they think she is going to put a spell on them. The kids also think that Miss Moore is not like them because she is educated and has been to college. They can tell by the way she talks and dresses.
Sylvia does not want to go with Miss Moore to F.A.O Schwarz, but she knows that she has to go because her mother made her. On the way to the store, Sylvia and her friends make fun of Miss Moore. The kids think that Miss Moore does not know anything about fun.
When they get to the store, Miss Moore asks the kids what they think is the most expensive thing in the store. The kids do not know, so Miss Moore tells them it is the toy sailboat. The sailboat costs two hundred and fifty dollars. The kids have never seen that much money before. They are shocked that something can cost so much.
Miss Moore then asks the children if they know how much money their families make in a week. The kids do not know, so Miss Moore tells them. She says that their families make about sixty dollars a week. The kids are surprised to learn that their families make so little money. After learning this, Sylvia and her friends start to see Miss Moore in a different light. They realize that she is not so different from them after all.
Miss Moore has given the kids a lesson that they will never forget. She has shown them that there is a big difference between the haves and the have-nots in society. The kids have learned that they do not have to accept the status quo. They can aspire to be something more than what their circumstances dictate. Miss Moore has opened their eyes to a new way of thinking, and for that, they are forever grateful.
The neighbors are on the fence about how to react to her, as demonstrated by Sylvia’s statement, “the way we did at the rubbish collector,” who is considered arrogant and acting above his station (Bambara 98). Miss Moore is also described by Sylvia as a nasty problem, similar to winos who littered our parks and pissed on our handball walls (Bambara 98).
The kids are resentful of her because they think that she is coming into their neighborhood to tell them what is wrong with their lives and how to fix it. The children do not want to hear about the world outside of their own, which is why they are so resistant to Miss Moore’s attempts to teach them.
Miss Moore is a very different type of person than the kids are used to encountering. She is educated and has a college degree, which is something that none of the kids have ever seen before. She is also from a different economic background than the kids, which is made clear by the way she dresses and by the fact that she drives a car. The kids are initially quite intimidated by her and don’t know how to respond to her.
Miss Moore is trying to teach the kids a lesson about their place in the world and how they can improve their lives, but the kids are resistant to her message. The title of the story, “The Lesson,” refers to the fact that Miss Moore is trying to teach the kids a lesson, but it is also clear that the kids are teaching Miss Moore a lesson as well. The story ends with Miss Moore realizing that she has more to learn from the kids than they have to learn from her.
The author indicates how much Sylvia despises Miss Moore. Despite the fact that the people in the neighborhood are unaware of Miss Moore, her parents allow her to take their children on a trip. The children’s self-appointed mentor, Miss Moore, takes them to a Fifth Avenue shop. It’s something they’ve never seen before.
The scene is set for a confrontation between Sylvia and Miss Moore, who wants the children to understand that they are just as good as the people who shop in the store. The saleslady’s attitudes toward the children make it abundantly clear that she does not think they belong there. The children are intrigued by the expensive items in the store, but Sylvia is determined to let the saleslady know that she is not going to be intimidated.
In “The Lesson” Toni Cade Bambara shows us a glimpse of African American life in the 1970’s. The story takes place in Harlem, New York. The protagonist is a young girl named Sylvia. The other kids in the story are Sugar, Fatima, Flyboy and Junie Bee. The antagonist is Miss Moore, a college educated woman who tries to teach the kids a lesson about life.
Sylvia is a very smart and sassy little girl. She is also quite lazy and doesn’t want to learn anything from Miss Moore. She would rather play with her friends than listen to what Miss Moore has to say. However, she is also very observant and notices things that the other kids don’t.
Miss Moore is a strong and independent woman. She is not afraid to speak her mind or stand up for what she believes in. She wants the children in her neighborhood to have the same opportunities as children from wealthier backgrounds.
The story is told from Sylvia’s point of view. We see the events through her eyes and learn about her thoughts and feelings. The story is set in the past, but the issues it deals with are still relevant today.
Sylvia and the other children in the neighborhood live in poverty. They don’t have much money or possessions. However, they are rich in spirit and community. The people in the neighborhood look out for each other and help each other when they can.
Miss Moore takes the children on a trip to a toy store on Fifth Avenue. The children have never seen anything like it. The store is full of expensive toys and clothes. The children are amazed by the sight of so much wealth.
The saleslady in the store is very rude to the children. She does not think they belong there. Sylvia is determined to show the saleslady that she is just as good as anyone else. She refuses to be intimidated by her.
At the end of the story, Sylvia has learned a valuable lesson from Miss Moore. She has learned that she is just as good as anyone else, no matter what their social or economic status may be. This is an important lesson for all children to learn. No one is better than anyone else, we are all equal.