The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Essay

The diverse and powerful topic of socioeconomic can be explored to develop characters and the overall theme of a story. Two literary stories in particular, “The Lesson” by Toni Bambara and “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Heker, have used socioeconomic status to create a second theme of self-discovery. The main characters in each of these two stories are young girls who discover their adult selves by the end. A low socioeconomic status was a part of each character’s character development in “The Lesson” and “The Stolen Party”, which ultimately forced them down a path of self-discovery. Good Start

Dalton states, “Black folk certainly know what it is like to be favored, disfavored, scrutinized, and ignored all on the basis of our race. Sometimes we are judged on a different scale altogether” (273). Dalton is trying to state that African Americans know what it is like to be judged and because of this it creates a road block. In addition, race has become a universal problem that people tend to cause huge tensions and the way “Horatio Alger’s” essay states it is that everyone is equal would not be true. On the other hand, Sylvia seems to be under the paradox that Dalton has stated about race. Sylvia throughout the story goes on a field trip to a toy store where she sees items that cost a lot of money from the glass window, but when she enters the store an issue occurs. Sylvia states, “Not that I’m scared, what’s there to be afraid of, just a toy store. But I feel funny, shame. But what I got to be shamed about? Got as much right to go in as anybody” (269). Sylvia is afraid to enter the store because the fear of race keeps occurring in her mind. It is a huge issue because African Americans had many different views and it made them feel insecure. Also, Sylvia knows that the toy store is fancy and expensive, which triggers her to back off because she is from a poor background. Race has a huge impact on society, no matter what way it is looked at and Sylvia’s fear expresses that of many at the time.

The Sixties, in America, was famously known as the years of the Cultural Revolution. It was a socially and politically chaotic period for America. In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story, “The Lesson”, she exposes the injustices and inequalities imposed on African Americans of that time. “…she’s boring us silly about what things cost and what our parents make… and how money ain’t divided up right in this country. And then… about we all poor and live in the slums” (Bambara 137).

"The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara is not just a spirited story about a poor girl out of place in an expensive toy store, it is a social commentary. "The Lesson" is a story about one African-American girl's struggle with her growing awareness of class inequality. The character Miss Moore introduces the facts of social inequality to a distracted group of city kids, of whom Sylvia, the main character, is the most cynical. Flyboy, Fat Butt, Junebug, Sugar, Rosie, Sylvia and the rest think of Miss Moore as an unsolicited educator, and Sylvia would rather be doing anything else than listening to her. The conflict between Sylvia and Miss Moore, "This

Toni Cade Bambara wrote the short story, The Lesson, in 1972. The Lesson is considered by the Literary Canon to be a wonderful work of fiction because of its use of language, humanistic theme, symbolism, and non-genre plot. Two essential elements that add to the depth and enhance a reader?s comprehension of The Lesson are Bambara?s use of symbolism and theme.

The theme in "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara appears to be a lesson on

I believe the hardest thing to be in America is black, we are constantly stereotyped and born into categories we don't even know we're in, which makes it impossible for us to get out. The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara uses conventional symbolism to show the kids on the block how bad of a hand they were dealt and its up to them if they want to keep that hand or draw a new one. The first thing that stands out to me about this short story is the way the narrator initially describes Ms.Moore, " the lady with nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup" (Bambara 110). Her name itself says she wants more, whether its for herself or the children on her block. She is like a guardian angel, she watches over the kids while their parents are out doing their

Toni Cade Bambara's The Lesson is a very well written piece of history. This is a story from yesterday, when Harlem children didn't have good education or the money to spring for it. Bambara's tale tells about a little girl who doesn't really know how to take it when a good teacher finally does come along. This girl's whole life is within the poverty stricken area and she doesn't see why she must try hard. The teacher, Miss Moore, shows them what it is all about by taking them to a rich toy store, one in which a single toy costs more than year's supply of food.

Beginning with the Great Depression, this event was regarded as having begun in 1929 with the Stock Market crash. The depression had devastating effects on the country. The stock market was in shambles. Many banks couldn't continue to operate. Farmers fell into bankruptcy. Quarters of the working force, or 13 million people, were unemployed in 1932, and this was only the beginning. The depression lasted over a decade, with hundreds of thousands of Americans losing their jobs, businesses failing, and financial institutions collapsing. Bambara, born in 1939, experienced the backlashes of the great depression as a small child. Growing up poor, Bambara was encouraged by her mother to explore her imagination, to daydream and to follow her inner motives. The Lesson, a short story written by Bambara, is about a young girl named Silvia that over the course of one afternoon, she is forced to an unpleasant awareness of the unfairness of the social and economic system that prevailed in the 1960s. Sylvia lives in a “slum” neighborhood. Only one person in the neighborhood distinguishes herself – Miss Moore. She is college educated and takes it upon herself the “responsibility for the young ones’ education” and exposes them to the world outside of their neighborhood and the truth it holds. On the afternoon the story takes place, she takes a group

Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson,” introduces us to Miss Moore, a college educated African American women who takes it upon herself to offer educational sessions to children living in a New York City slum. While there are no familial relationships with the children, she “said it was only right that she should take responsibility for the young ones’ education” (paragraph 2). The traditional subject of math allows her to creatively introduce the complex topic of income inequality, which becomes apparent during a field trip to F.A.O. Schwartz in Manhattan. Seeing a handcrafted sailboat with a $1,195 price tag jars her young students - even our reluctant narrator, Sylvia, exclaims, “unbelievable” (paragraph 27). Painfully aware they are poor,

“The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara is a narrative told by a young black girl named Sylvia. Sylvia is a young African-American girl who was raised and lives in a rough, poor neighborhood. She is quite disrespectful to Miss Moore and well as her friends and cousin. She says that she hates “this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree,” which shows that she has no respect for those who are older than her and those who are educated. When interacting with others, Sylvia and is getting physical by pushing her friends and steeping on her cousins toes. She is also quite competitive and believes that “ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin.” In the beginning of the story Sylvia and her cousin Sugar seem very alike. Sylvia and Sugar engage in the same activities and

“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara demonstrates a monumental piece that deems the financial inequalities of the 1960s. African Americans began to initiate a more active role around the 1950s to end discrimination in the United States. Bambara conveys this message through the perception of a young girl name Sylvia. Sylvia states in “The Lesson”, “She can run if she want to and even run faster. But ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin” (Bambara 6). This quote leads to the illusion that young people need to change their course of action; in which Sylvia determines to not let anything stop her. In the short story, Bambara uses economic prejudice through the theme of poverty and wealth, the symbolism of the F.A.O Schwarz (Toy Store), and the style of her written work.

“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara is about a young African-American girl who is born into a poor society. Her name is Sylvia. Sylvia has not had experienced much outside of her neighborhood. She believes her family’s way of living is the way it is for everyone. This changes when a college educated African- American lady moves into the neighborhood.

While the United States government is proclaimed to be a democracy, it consists many of the imperfections demonstrated in the story written by Toni Cade Bambara, “The Lesson”. The protagonist as well as her friends are enlightened as they explore a new environment, a toy store that contrasts greatly with the slums they ventured from. Although the difference between the wealthy children and the youth described in the story is missing, the injustice is displayed by their surroundings in addition to the interactions they have with each toy they find. Through these expensive gadgets, the children are shown how defective their democracy is, observing the many injustices inflicted on them and their families. In a rights based society, there should

“The Lesson’’ by Toni Cade Bambara compared the life between poor and rich people. The action was “Back in the days when everyone was old and stupid’’ (317). The society was divided in two parts. Some of them were so rich, they could “spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven‘’ (325). Many people were upset because of high prices and separation between classes. Some people would say “This is not much of a democracy’’ (325).