Summary Of The Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara

An illustration of this is when Helen describes Myra as having a “rotten-sweetish smell as of bad fruit.” Also, when Helen asks what she will become when she is older, she looks very confused and says, “I will help my mother, and work in the shop.” Helen replies to this by saying that she will become an airplane hostess. While Helen’s family does not have less money than Myra’s, she seems to have some issues when she says she is the only student in the classroom who, “carried a lunch pail and ate peanut-butter sandwiches in the high, bare, mustard-colored cloakroom…” She feels she is in danger because it could be somethings that separates her from the better off and popular children in the class. With this considered, if either of them had families with money like a classmate named Gladys Healey, they would not have differences they could bond

Then, Miss Moore takes the kids on a certain “fieldtrip” to the toy store. Miss Moore prepares to teach the difference of how people spend money. Sylvia feels insulted and thinks that Miss Moore thinks they are stupid when she asked what money was. Miss Moore asked if they knew how much to tip a cab driver. Sylvia wanted to keep the money and save it to eat barbeque. Stealing seems to be common within the group. When they go into the toy store, Sugar seriously asked, “Can we steal?” (358) Ms Moore quickly refused and walked them around the toy store. The kids ss

We realize that Mrs. Moore is trying to open their eyes to the world around them, when she takes them on a trip around the expensive shopping complexes of the city. As Mrs. Moore takes them through these areas, we get the distinct impression that Sylvia gets angry. She discovers a fiber glass boat that is worth a thousand dollars. Sugar touches the boat, at which she gets jealous. She does not realize at first the reason for her anger, and almost directs it at her cousin, Sugar. Yet she stops herself and realizes that she is not angry with Sugar, rather that something else is wrong.

      Her children is the only thing that has consumed her mind in several years until the unexpected sum of cash shows up. Even before Mrs. Mallard starts upon her shopping spree, she prioritizes what to buy in her mind for her children, a dollar...(321). She knows exactly what to buy and how much to spend on each since she knows the value of a bargain.

With this story its important to ask the question what was the point of the whole thing? With the what the story said from the point of view of Sylvia. As the story goes on it gives subtle clues about the whole scenrioes. As time goes on throughout the story it says in some direct and some indirect ways Miss Moore makes them pay the cab fare then 10% tab for to make them use the children’s math skills in real life instead of just in the class room when doing school work and the kids don’t notice what Miss Moore is doing and go on about their trip. When they arrive at the toy store they get excited but, when they realize the prices

When they arrive at the toy store, Sylvia struggles with the "new" class consciousness that is surfacing in her by attacking the values of high-end consumerism. While Sugar, Rosie, and Big Butt are having

Some of them include a paperweight and a sailboat. Initially, none of the children, especially Sylvia, knew what the paperweight was. She says to herself that ?my eyes tell me it?s a chunk of glass cracked with something heavy, and different-color inks dripped into the splits, then the whole thing put into a oven or something. But for $480 it don?t make sense? (Bambara 123). After Mrs. Moore explains what it is, the children still cannot comprehend its use or the price. Bambara uses the paperweight to symbolize importance. A paperweight is used to hold something that is of value, something that someone wishes not to lose. The children have never known or owned something that is precious. At the same time, the paperweight can symbolize that their living in the slums and never reaching out for something more can be holding them down. They are the important ones under that paperweight. A better life, one in which their basic needs are met, costs a price- one that they are not use to. To them, $400 is a life?s worth of work and unfathomable. The price of their future is going to have be something that they will have to strive for and open their minds past their current dwellings. Similarly, the sailboat is also used by Bambara to represent freedom and the journey that lies in front of them.

In “The Lesson,” the author shows how one can alter their circumstances. The story is being told by a young girl name Sylvia; through her observation of living in Harlem, readers are able to get a glance of what kind of environment she and the other children lived in. Sylvia was known to be outspoken and unruly but by Miss Moore taking her and her peers under her wing she made a change for the better. Miss Moore took the children on a trip to an expensive store in Manhattan called F.A.O Swartz where the children saw a variety of toys with expensive price tags. Miss Moore wanted the children to see how wealthy people lived and that the other opportunities out there. This short story shows how the environment contributes to ones determination of achieving the American Dream. Although, Miss Moore was well adjusted to this environment, the

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.

We all walkin on tiptoe and hardly touchin the games and puzzles and things” (646). The toy store in the White neighborhood was not like the one she and the other children were use to in her Harlem community where thing were cheap and quickly replaced. To her this Toy store was something too pure to be touched and most precious because it belonged to those of wealth and it was not for her people of poor quality to demolish.

Developing character is something that comes with time. I believe that there are three major things that effect how people develop their character—where they are from, which includes their financial status; how they are raised; and the character of the people that  have had the most influence on their lives. Sylvia, in Toni Cade Bambara’s "The Lesson," is very much influenced by all of these factors. Sylvia’s living in the slums and being poor makes her defensive and judgmental. Her parents not being around much leaves her without the attention and discipline that children need to develop to their fullest. Lastly, her friends and Miss Moore also have a great influence on how

“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

To Sylvia, being educated means seeing things as they are. Sylvia and Miss Moore both have a considerable amount of pride. Sylvia thinks Miss Moore shows disrespect when she describes their neighborhood as a slum and their families as poor. Bambara has indicated that Sylvia 's family is striving for better conditions through the mention of the piano rental. Miss Moore views the children 's acceptance of their economic condition as ignorance and their ignorance as disrespect for their race. Miss Moore wants to change this attitude and encourages the children to demand more from the society that keeps them down. By the end of the story, both of these characters have made their points. Sylvia realizes

“Mona, look at your presents!” Lisa said, her eyes smiling. Mona was only 5 years old, though she was so young, she was probably smarter than someone 2 times her age. She trudged over to the living room, where the evergreen tree stood. Lisa didn’t have frankly enough to buy it, but a nice store manager lent it to them because no one would buy it. Mona eyed the amazing presents: a hockey table, beautifully wrapped presents, embellished bows, and much more spectacular gifts. There was even a Barbie doll with long, luscious hair. Mona gasped with glee. “Mommy, how’d you obtain all this?” she asked.

A few weeks later, Madame Forestier saw Madame Loisel and her husband begging on the street, for they had no money. They had nothing to eat and it was winter. They were freezing. Madame Forestier generously gave them some money to buy a small house and some food. “Go, please. Live your life. Haven’t you enough of this.” Madame Forestier muttered to the desolate couple.