The Lesson
“The Lesson” is a short story penned by Toni Cade Bambara, belonging to the realistic fiction genre. The story is narrated by Sylvia, a young girl growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Harlem, New York. Sylvia reflects on a pivotal experience from her childhood when a woman named Miss Moore, who is introduced as having “nappy hair” and an austere demeanor, moves into their neighborhood. Miss Moore takes Sylvia and other children, including her best friend Sugar, on a field trip to a prestigious toy store in Manhattan called FAO Schwarz. This outing serves as a means for Miss Moore to expose the children to the stark disparities in society’s economic distribution.
Throughout the story, Sylvia’s internal conflict takes center stage as she grapples with the profound inequalities in her society, making it a central element of the plot. Her initial resistance to Miss Moore’s lesson gradually transforms into a valuable realization of social and economic injustice, underscoring her character’s growth. The story presents a snarky and defiant narrative voice, typical of a young girl asserting her independence and grappling with a new understanding of the world around her.
Characterization in “The Lesson”
Both Sylvia and Miss Moore are constructed through a combination of direct and indirect characterization. Direct characterization provides explicit traits and characteristics of the characters. For example, Miss Moore is described as a woman with “nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup and proper speech” who is pursuing higher education. She is also characterized as someone who takes on the responsibility of educating the neighborhood’s children despite the absence of familial ties. Sylvia uses her tone and voice to provide direct insights into her personality, self-assuredness, and snarky attitude.
Indirect characterization, however, reveals more profound aspects of the characters. Sylvia’s internal conflict and her resistance to the lesson taught by Miss Moore exemplify indirect characterization. Her actions, thoughts, and reactions to the trip to the toy store provide insights into her character development. Initially resistant to the lesson, Sylvia transforms as she confronts the economic disparities that shock her. Miss Moore’s indirect characterization is evident in her actions, particularly her determination to expose the children to the realities of economic disparity and her commitment to their education.