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Struggles with Identity in The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara

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Identity is what makes a person different from all other individuals. Throughout history it shows that people tend to conform to society's perception of who they should be when they don't take the time out to figure out who they are. Therefore, it is important for people to have a sense of who they are. In " The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara, it shows how the main character struggles to figure out her identity and how she sees herself.

In "The Lesson" it talks about a group of children who lives in the slum of New York City in the 1970s. Sylvia the main character is ignorant, rude and stubborn. In the summer all she wanted to do is have fun with her friends however, Miss Moore a well educated black woman took it upon her self to take Sylvia and her friends to a toy store called F.O.A schwarz in manhattan. On the trip Miss Moore is trying to show them a different world , the "real world" something the children are not accustom to seeing. She's helping them to figure their identity and how they are as a person. At the end Sylvia realizes that she is a strong and intelligent individual.

It is crucial for one to have a safe haven, a place where one can concentrate and find themselves as an individual. Throughout the story Sylvia appears to be a rebellious, ignorant girl who curses a lot. Maybe Sylvia feels the need to put on a mask when she is with her friends and pretend to be someone who she's not. When Miss Moore and the children was in the toy store, Rosie giraffe one of
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