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Analysis Of Toni Bambara's The Lesson

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The short story “The Lesson” was first published in 1972. This story is in a collection called “Gorilla, My Love” with 14 other stories. Toni Bambara has also published two other novels which added to her collection. In 1977 she published “The Sea Birds Are Still Alive” as her second volume of stories. She also worked on a little bit of screenwriting. Bambara’s short fiction is notable for the creative language and her ability to capture the poetry of black speech. The author stresses the importance of knowledge for both individual growth and collective goodness. Most of her stories focus on young girls determined to make their place in the world. In “The Lesson” it shows us how wealth is unequally divided throughout America. Bambara portrays …show more content…

She is Sylvia’s best friend and is also very observant. “Sugar is the only child who tells Miss. Moore exactly what she wants to hear” (“The Lesson”). She was very interested in the toys like the rest of the children. She realized that the toys cost so much money that they could live off that money for food. “You know, Miss. Moore, I don’t think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs” (Bambara). Sugar saying this surprises Miss. Moore. Although it is the truth is just shows you how divided the world is. Sugar is learning and changing though the story from being in the toy store. By Sugar saying that it tells you as a reader that they are not wealthy. Living in the slums is more different than what they are witnessing in the toy …show more content…

“Sylvia grows angry at the disparity that she sees, she also recognizes that potential showiness of wealth, as represented by a women who wears a fur coat despite the hot weather” (“The Lesson”). The fur coat is a strong symbol of wealth. It shows that when you have money your buy and do things normal people wouldn’t. The wealthy lady is still wearing her fur coat even though it’s a hot summer day. “Then we check out that we on Fifth Avenue and everybody dressed up in stockings. One lady in a fur coat hot as it is. White folks crazy.” (Bambara). The author put this in the story to show that the children live in poverty. They are not use to being around wealthy people and expensive things. Seeing the women wear the coat on the hot day is a big sign of

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In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia was presented as a character with outstanding traits. Bambara was able to reveal these traits by telling this short story from Sylvia’s first-person point of view. Although Sylvia’s character might seem rude and childish at first, Sylvia actually is tough and has a sense of righteousness. Sylvia is a tough character.

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Rhetorical Analysis of Jerome Cartwright’s "Bambara's the Lesson” Jerome Cartwright’s feature article on Toni Cade Bambara’s “the Lesson” was published in 1989. This piece provides a scholarly secondary source for Bambara’s short story because it was featured in The Explicator, a quarterly journal of literary criticism published by Taylor & Francis, Inc.

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They are in the cold and she is the moment of warmth that makes the cold even

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But somehow I cant seem to get hold of the door, so I step away for sugar to lead. But she hangs back too” (389). They both look at each other not being able to open the door of the store. They have never been shy to do anything until they are shown the class of what others

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The story does not have a clear end and readers can predict any possibilities. One main prediction is Sylvia turning into a thief in the future. Sylvia isn’t new to the act of stealing as she “terrorized the West Indian kids and [took] their hair ribbons and their money too” (Bambara 1). Also greedy for money, she did not give a tip to the taxi driver as Miss Moore instructs. Sylvia now knows the value of money and the unfairness of economy through Miss Moore’s lesson of how economy is unfair.

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A Lesson Learned In Toni Cade Bambara’s story “The Lesson,” Sylvia, the main character, changes drastically from the beginning of the story to the end. She is, in other words, a dynamic character. To begin, Sylvia is a dynamic character because she is learning a lesson, although trying hard not to. For example, Miss Moore, an intelligent, highly regarded self-appointed advocate, takes Sylvia and the other children to an expensive toy store.

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Towards the end, Sylvia and her group see the riches of the “white folks” and now sees that there is economic and social inequality. Sylvia is a round character due to her attitude and bitterness while her development reflects her understanding the lesson, and this knowledge creates an epiphany in her. She is now aware of the class inequality and unfairness towards

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The primary character, Sylvia, is a fourteen year old African American young lady, who recounts the story in a first individual account. Sylvia notices Miss Moore, an educator who felt that it was her obligation to help underprivileged kids learn. Miss Moore felt there was a lesson to learn at FAO Schwartz, an exceptionally costly, high society toy store in downtown Manhattan. The reason Miss Moore conveys the kids to FAO Schwartz is caught in Bambara's utilization of imagery. Miss Moore utilizes the toys in FAO Schwartz to pass on to the children where they are on the social stepping stool.

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Despite the fact that F.A.O. Schwartz is only a little part of that world, the excursion here with Ms. Moore demonstrates the youngsters an awesome arrangement about what the outside world resembles and how anybody can have that bit of the pie. Despite the fact that the youngsters would never manage the cost of the toys, Ms. Moore conveys them to the store to show them they have the same amount of appropriate to be there and the same amount of ideal to carry on with the rich life as any other individual. Sylvia, the storyteller, is furious about the disparity. She is desirous of the life she can't have and is furious that Ms. Moore would open her to these actualities. In spite of the fact that, Sylvia could never let her know this.

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Miss Moore, a mentor plans a summer trip for the children in Harlem to an expensive toy shop, F.A.O Schwarz to teach them a lesson about the value of money. One of the children is Sylvia and she has an arrogant behavior by saying, “Back in the days when everyone was old and stupid or young and foolish and me and Sugar were the only ones just right” (Bambara 304). Sylvia thinks that she is the smartest person in their neighborhood until Miss Moore comes. Sylvia does not like Miss Moore at all and she “kinda hate her too” (304). She hates Miss Moore because she feels that someone is better and smarter than her in their neighborhood.

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Miss Moore shows a high level of confidence towards the children. While they may talk behind her back and make many rude gestures, she still stands up for herself and give the children a the guidance she feels they deserve. The story portrays a town that is full of unfortunate children. The children may not have been shown proper way to do things or the correct social skills in life. Miss Moore makes them work hard and shows them how a respectable adult should behave.

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Marxist Criticism, specifically the Hegelian Dialectic is applicable in Bambara’s short story, “The Lesson”. Social class is predominant at the time “The Lesson” was written and the story focuses on the main character, Sylvia’s perception of her own class, the struggles that it brings and what she is then introduced to by Miss Moore. The Hegelian Dialect can be applied to this story as the transformation ensues within Sylvia upon her enlightenment of the difference in social classes. What appeared to be anger, frustration and resentment within Sylvia, undergoes a conversion into an upheaval curiosity of a newfound “culture”. Does the enlightenment occurring within Sylvia, present a new synthesis of which she uses as a platform for change?

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The symbols present in “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, depict the economic and social injustices faced by specific members of society, specifically the children in the story. The characters in the story are being mentored by Miss Moore, a woman from their block who has taken up the role of taking them out on weekly outings. The story touches on the situation of the children that are stuck in living in almost poverty. “The Lesson” focuses on the socioeconomic disparities between the different racial groups and how. Bambara uses several techniques such as irony, othering, and second person point of view to make the story meaningful and demonstrate the characteristics of the characters.

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