The Lesson, is written by: Toni Cade Bambara, an African American writer. This is a short story about a wealthy, educated black woman living in the community, who believes in educating the youth in the neighborhood. Miss Moore plans to take the children on educational outings during the summer, to expose them to life’s lessons. While on the educational outings, the children don 't seem to be excited about spending their summer learning, let alone stuck with Miss Moore. In order for Miss Moore to teach the children, she must open their eyes and expose them to a world beyond their block in Harlem. She hopes to teach the children in the neighborhood about wealth, poverty, economic inequality, and injustice which exists in social classes.
Miss …show more content…
What kinda work they do and how come we ain’t on it?” Miss Moore responds, “ Where we are is who we are.” “... she always say that poor people have to wake up and demand their piece of the pie…” (352) By comparing the two spaces, the children begin asking questions, which opened the door to gaining knowledge, helping them discover who they are and where they stand socially compared to those in the wealthier class. They were also able to see that Miss Moore is very much like them ethically, but socially she is more like the upper class whites due to her education. From Miss Moore showing the children they have just as much a right to be happy, learn and become wealthy likes the white at F.A.O Schwartz, they must rise up above the stigma of their neighborhood and demand they take an action to receive their piece of the ‘pie’. Only once they are educated they would have a chance at living a better life. They would then have the ability to accomplish anything, and get anything they want out of life if as long as they understand education is they key to success. Miss Moore was able to teach the kids, once they break the barrier of their own social class, only then they would be able to gain financial power, and become an educated, wealthy, black adult like Miss …show more content…
Her coming to terms with who she is clearly states that she learned what Miss Moore set out to teach the children, and she wants to be better. Sylvia and the children were able to get an understanding that here is more to the world than Harlem alone, they are classified as poor, and not everyone is equal
Miss …show more content…
What kinda work they do and how come we ain’t on it?” Miss Moore responds, “ Where we are is who we are.” “... she always say that poor people have to wake up and demand their piece of the pie…” (352) By comparing the two spaces, the children begin asking questions, which opened the door to gaining knowledge, helping them discover who they are and where they stand socially compared to those in the wealthier class. They were also able to see that Miss Moore is very much like them ethically, but socially she is more like the upper class whites due to her education. From Miss Moore showing the children they have just as much a right to be happy, learn and become wealthy likes the white at F.A.O Schwartz, they must rise up above the stigma of their neighborhood and demand they take an action to receive their piece of the ‘pie’. Only once they are educated they would have a chance at living a better life. They would then have the ability to accomplish anything, and get anything they want out of life if as long as they understand education is they key to success. Miss Moore was able to teach the kids, once they break the barrier of their own social class, only then they would be able to gain financial power, and become an educated, wealthy, black adult like Miss …show more content…
Her coming to terms with who she is clearly states that she learned what Miss Moore set out to teach the children, and she wants to be better. Sylvia and the children were able to get an understanding that here is more to the world than Harlem alone, they are classified as poor, and not everyone is equal