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Analysis Of The Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara

426 Words2 Pages

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, Miss Moore travels with a group of children from a low-income neighborhood to a high end toy store in hopes to educate them on the value of money. At first glance her lesson seems simple, but a closer reading reveals a more complex message. There are many small indications throughout the story that indicate she is trying to teach the children about the vast differences between wealthy and poor individuals. For instance, on their way to the city, Sylvia—the narrator—mentions: “and she’s boring us silly about what things cost and what our parents make and how much goes for rent and how money ain’t divided up right in this country” (649). This quote shows that Miss Moore's lesson is about money and that she has strong feelings about how money is allocated to different individuals of different classes. …show more content…

But it don't necessarily have to be that way, she always adds then waits for somebody to say poor people have to wake up and demand their share of the pie..." (652). This quote not only illustrates that Miss Moore classifies herself and the children as poor, but also that she believes they need to take initiative to do something about it. By taking the children to store where one toy costs the equivalent of feeding one of their families for a week, she shows them how different the priorities of a wealthy person are as opposed to a poor

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