ENG 211 - THE Lesson PDF

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Download ENG 211 - THE Lesson PDF

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Roberta N. SaintLouis

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Professor L. Kuziw English 211 11 May 2013 The Lesson In “The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara, a young female narrator who goes by the name of Sylvia begins the short story by introducing readers to a woman named “Miss Moore.” Who is a educated, afro centric woman who recently just moved into Sylvia’s neighborhood. Sylvia describes her as the type “who always looked like she was going to church though she never did” (Bambara 265). She describes Miss Moore as someone who presents herself in a presentable, well manner, and had “proper speech.” She would take the children around her neighborhood and planned things for them to do to occupy themselves. Sylvia narrates the story as a character that seems well informed about everyone and their business. With the help of Miss Moore, Sylvia transitions from ignorance into knowledge by realizing that perhaps maybe things are not divided equally amongst society. Although she begins the story with a knowledgeable attitude about life and surroundings Miss Moore helps her to eventually open up her eyes to see that the world is much bigger than what she thought it out to be. Although, Sylvia portrays Miss Moore as the antagonist of the story because she always seems to take the children away from their fun, she always takes it upon herself to educate the kids by volunteering her time to help with their education. Reason why could be that possibly because Miss Moore had graduated college and wanted the children to experience college as well. Sylvia states “And our parents would yank our heads into

SaintLouis 2 some kinda shape and crisp our clothes so we’d look presentable for travel . . .”(265). One day Miss Moore gathers Sylvia, Sugar, Mercedes and other kids from around the neighborhood to meet her at the mailbox to embark on another journey. The mailbox significantly represents departure and the receiving of new information. Their destination is F.A.O Schwartz, in downtown Manhattan in NYC. The kids who currently lives in Harlem before they embark on their journey, they’re asked by Miss Moore “What money is” after she finished annoying Sylvia about arithmetic, as well stating the income of the children’s parents. Nevertheless, Sylvia is annoyed by the comments Miss Moore makes about how the kids live in the “slums” and on how the division of money is not equally distributed, she remains to be attentive. After being told by Miss Moore to calculate a 10% tip to pay a cab driver after being given a five dollar bill, Sylvia struggles to calculate the change, so she decides to keep it. An attempt by Miss Moore to get the kids to use their mathematical skills and use it in the real world. Once the cab driver told them, they’ve reached their destination; Miss Moore is outside and tells them they’ve reached the place. As the children glances around the museum, she asked them how long will it take for them to save up their allowances to purchase $300 learning utensil. While at the window of the museums’ toy store, the children glance at the price tags of the products inside. Miss Moore tells them to go in, and Sylvia & her companion Sugar is resistant to step in. Feeling a “shameful” feeling, and causes them to be out of their comfort area. Sugar states “Got as much right to go in as anybody…I mean, damn, I have never been shy about doing nothing or going nowhere” (269.) The kids are amazed by the prices of the things outside the museum’s

SaintLouis 3 store window, such as: a $1,195 toy sailboat, $480 paperweight, $380 microscope the kids thought of alternative ways to create one without spending as much as a dollar. Sylvia noticed how the toys cost more than her household incomes in a year and somewhat begins to grasp the lessons that Miss Moore is trying to teach. She now acknowledges that economic differences between the social classes, those being the minority and the well fortunate. After entering the store, Sylva state “And I watched Miss Moore who is steady watchin us like she waitin for a sign.” Knowing that she wants the kids to look at the prices and who can afford them, rather than admire the toy itself. On the train ride home, Sylvia states “who are these people that spend that much on performing clowns and $1000 for toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain’t in on it?” (270) Sylvia now understands by what Miss Moore’s means by “. . . poor people have to wake up and demand their share of the pie.” “The rite of passage” is illustrated as Sylvia thinks on the train with the other children on their way home. She understood the point that Miss Moore was trying to make since the beginning, and sees the differences of income. The kids return back to the mailbox and she asks them what they thought of the experience to the museum. Sugar surprises Sylvia by stating the lesson that she learned by explaining the differences and unfairness of distribution of income in the society. Sylvia now thinking and consuming the lesson she received decides to think even more rather than go buy ice cream with Sugar and race away with the money they stole from Miss Moore, She ends the story with “ She can run if she want to and even run faster. But ain't nobody gonna beat me at nuthin....