Character growth creates more appealing characters. Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” conveys character growth to achieve more appealing characters. The “Lesson” follows an obnoxious girl named Sylvia who goes on a trip with some friends. Miss Moore orchestrates this trip; Sylvia and her cousin, Sugar, hate Miss Moore. The children and Miss Moore travel from Harlem to Fifth Avenue to visit a toy store. The expensive toys frustrate the children. Especially, the thousand-dollar toy sailboat. At the end, the children learn a lesson about how democracy doesn’t actually provide an equal chance. Even Sylvia reflects on what she observed in the toy store. With characterization and diction, Bambara alters an off-putting and a submissive character by developing their personality with a lesson. This lesson causes a change in the dynamic of the characters, making them more likable. While reading the first paragraphs, the readers evaluate the main character’s personality to determine how appealing a character is. In “The Lesson”, Sylvia immediately proclaims her hatred for Miss Moore. With Sylvia’s …show more content…
From learning the lesson, Sugar does something that Sylvia describes as treachery; Sugar acknowledges the lesson by stating an observation she found. Sugar explains how they don’t “eat in a year what that sailboat costs”(p. 64). Based on Sylvia’s reaction, Sugar doesn't usually speak up or give Miss Moore the satisfaction. However, Sugar’s response shows how she learned this lesson. Her treachery disgusts Sylvia, leading a reader to conclude that Sugar plays a submissive role when with Sylvia. With the knowledge of the lesson, Sugar defies her cousin's aggression to explain the injustice she learned from the trip. After Sylvia and Sugar leave, Sugar seems to forget about the realization she came to. Even though that happened it is apparent how the lesson caused her to change her dynamic, giving a little more depth and