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Toni Bambara The Lesson Analysis

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#1 In the short story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, the conflict between Sylvia and Miss Moore is that while Miss Moore wants Sylvia to strive for something better, Sylvia believes that she is wasting Sylvia’s time. In the text, it stated “And the starch in my pinafore scratching the shit outta me and I'm really hating this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree. I'd much rather go to the pool or to the show where it's cool.” When Sylvia would much rather be doing something that keeps her cool during a hot summer afternoon, Miss Moore takes her and her friends to a toy store. Miss Moore was taking the children out to teach them about their socioeconomic class, but Sylvia felt as if Miss Moore was mocking her. Sylvia did not like that Miss Moore had a college degree because Sylvia’s parents would make her go with Miss Moore because of it. The children did not like Miss Moore because she was trying to teach them something that they did not …show more content…

In the text, it states “Then Sugar surprises me by sayin, ‘You know, Miss Moore, I don't think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs.’ And Miss Moore lights up like somebody goosed her. ‘And?’ she say, urging Sugar on. Only I'm standin on her foot so she don't continue.” This shows that when Sugar has an intelligent thought, Sylvia wants to stop her. Sylvia does not like when Sugar seems smarter than her in front of Miss Moore, so she does not let Sugar go any further. Sylvia and Suger are opposites of each other because while Suger wants to share what she learned, Sylvia wants to keep that knowledge to herself. When Sugar is juxtaposed with Sylvia, the reader perceives that Sugar is scared of Sylvia, but Sylvia is scared of Sugar beating her. By making Sugar scared of Sylvia, that gives Sylvia control over the situation and what Sugar

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335 Words | 2 Pages

Toni Cade Bambara is a well-known writer from New York City. She was born on March 25 of 1939. The person who encouraged Toni to write the most was her mother. Toni was really smart, so smart that she graduated from high school six months early. She published her first short story called “Sweet Town” in 1959.

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358 Words | 2 Pages

She acted unkind to her mother when she saw this and asked why she was doing this. When the mother confessed what she has done the elder daughter had to face up to the abuse she has put her mother through. Even though the daughter was being unruly and cruel the mother stood proud and strong and did what was needed to provide and feed her children. In conclusion, I believe this is a message of hope and love, not of poverty. The two daughters will one day be mothers, if they are lucky and might have to sacrifice life their mother has.

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1437 Words | 6 Pages

With the context given, readers can only assume Sylvia will use the information gained negatively. She could turn into a criminal-a thief- since her pride will not let her acknowledge the lesson. Her fall will soon come. As for Sammy, now jobless, he has nowhere to go in life. Sammy comes from a poor family, which is inferred by the quotation: “when my parents have somebody over they get lemonade” as

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811 Words | 4 Pages

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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1200 Words | 5 Pages

In the story it is late spring and she is on summer get-away. Summer excursion for Sylvia is investing energy at the recreation center, at the show, and at the pool. This maysound alright, yet as Silvia portrays it the recreation center is brimming with alcoholic bums. The apartmentwhere she lives is additionally covered with bums all through the stairwells and foyers of her loft building, in all likelihood situated in a project. Various symbols are used in “The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara, to represent the social and economic inequality faced by the children in this story.

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727 Words | 3 Pages

“The Lesson” “The Lesson” was written by Toni Cade Bambara. This essay recounts the day Miss Moore took a group of neighborhood kids to the toy store F.A.O Schwartz. Sylvia and her friend Sugar make it clear that they’d rather be somewhere else and out enjoying the day. Sylvia and her friends are astounded by the price tags they see on some toys and are left breathless wondering why someone would pay “37$ for a performing clown or 1000$ for a handcrafted sailboat”. The conflict between the narrator Sylvia is external conflict and it is shown by self VS economic welfare.

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963 Words | 4 Pages

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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330 Words | 2 Pages

The story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara illustrates how a young girl of the name Sylvia decides to ignore the help of her new neighbor Miss Moore. The little girl and her fellow childhood friends get the opportunity to take a field trip to a toy Museum; Miss Moore is the host and her intentions are to expose the isolated kids to show them that there is more to life than living in poverty. Bambara’s word choice portrays the vocabulary that the little kids possess, and they do not know nearly as much information as Miss Moore does because she has a college education. She attempts to educate the kids with numerous facts, but the kids disregard it because they are too fascinated at what the museum has to offer. Sylvia has a foul attitude and

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752 Words | 4 Pages

Mother of Education Some children are not as fortunate to be given wonderful lives like their peers. Furthermore, the mother and father of every little boy and little girl do not always set the best examples. In “The Lesson”, Miss Moore seeks to educate the children of the neighborhood. She takes them to a store in town, trying to help them better understand the issues with income inequality. Confidence, intelligence, and passion-- these are all qualities that Miss Moore, a motherly figure, exhibits while impacting the children 's education.

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604 Words | 3 Pages

Budge Wilson, in “The Metaphor,” writes about Ms. Hancock, a beloved teacher. Charlotte writes a metaphor in seventh grade relating her mother to a cold, grey building. When Wilson writes about Ms. Hancock, she describes her as being colorful and warm. Charlotte saw Ms. Hancock more as a mother figure than her own mother. However, when Ms. Hancock stops being her teacher, Charlotte starts to become more like her mother.

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723 Words | 3 Pages

In fact, as the author in this story, Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia grew up in a very poor neighborhood. Sylvia’s understanding of the world is limited to what she experiences within her neighborhood and her tiny apartment. Scarcity and want are no strangers to her. Luckily, Sylvia and the other kids have Miss Moore as a mentor. Miss Moore begins to work within the kids’ environment to enrich them inasmuch as possible with education.

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1131 Words | 5 Pages

It’s about school from the reader’s time period. They both think they have to throw the book away once you're done reading it. They talk about the teachers and classrooms that are mentioned in the book and how they differ from their teachers and their classrooms. Margie thinks about the fun they must have had with other kids in their class with them as she goes to

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728 Words | 3 Pages

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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742 Words | 3 Pages

There once was a girl named Mandy, who lived in the fanciest house on her street. Both of her parents worked for the government. They went to work every day while their daughter went to Academy For Girls. She was the only child, and her parents wanted the best for her. What her parents did not know was that the Academy For Girls was not like any other school.

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1114 Words | 5 Pages

When Miss Lucy decided that she needed to explain to them how terrible their lives would really be, it got their attention, but not in the way that she had hoped. “Word got around fast enough, but the talk mostly focused on Miss Lucy herself rather than on what she had been trying to tell us.” (82). The students were more shocked by Miss Lucy’s behavior than what she was actually trying to tell them. They didn’t care that none of them would grow up and have their dream job or a family. She acted differently than what they grew up with and it completely distracted them from the

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