Smith 4 Jasmine Smith Dr. Reginald Watson ENG. 115 Introduction to Literature 28th September 2019 “The lesson” is a short story written by a famous African American writer known as Toni Cade Bambara. Toni was born in New York City spent her early years in Harlem, and she believes that these years are the source of inspiration. Her childhood has a significant effect on writing skills. The emergent black women in the rural south and New York City has been her main concern as a writer. Her works include The sea Birds are still alive My Love and Gorilla. In the Lesson the Harlem depiction and characters in her short story are convincing and vivid. This makes the reader start imaging how the city smells, traffic noise, and characters picture. The story is narrated in the first person by an impoverished child who stayed with her neighbor Miss Moore. Miss Moore is a very educated and enlightened woman who was ready to open young girls mind by taking them out. I enjoyed reading this story and watching the narrator and protagonist a young girl name Sylvia evolve over the course of the story and symbolism the author uses to describe Miss Moore. “Miss Moore is her name. The only woman on the block with no first name.” (428 Bambara). The focus is on her last name and her last name alone. There is no need to make mention of any other name because the author purposely wants you to focus on the name Moore. Her name is Moore, and, in the story, she is requiring the neighborhood children to want more for themselves as she wants more for them also. College educated with no makeup and proper speech Miss Moore hopes to encourage the children to start envisioning a life outside of the impoverished reality that they are currently apart of. The children were not able to move out of Harlem to any other part of the nation, but here is miss Moore using her knowledge and experience to guide these children by changing their views and mindset of what they should strive to attain. By taking these children outside of their neighborhood to the other side of town to F.A.O Schwartz miss Moore is attempting to open their eyes to more possibilities and spark in them a desire to get their piece of the American dream. She believes they should have a chance at the wealth that America promises. Sylvia is one of the children who Miss Moore has taken under her wing to guide but Sylvia is not a fan of miss Moore starting out. Although school has let out for the summer, Miss Moore had something different in her mind. Miss Moore plans an unexpected trip and Sylvia is not in the mood to waste her summer following behind nappy headed black as hell cept for her eerily white feet miss know it all miss Moore. Sylvia says, “And school supposed to let up in summer I heard, but she never lets up” (Bambara, 428). A child’s mindset is one of the essential things to consider in th Work Cited Bambara, Toni Cade. Lesson. 1st ed., eFictions, Cengage Learning, 2002, pp. 197-202. D ...

1. Smith 4
Jasmine Smith
Dr. Reginald Watson
ENG. 115 Introduction to Literature
28th September 2019
“The lesson” is a short story written by a famous African
American writer known as Toni Cade Bambara. Toni was born
in New York City spent her early years in Harlem, and she
believes that these years are the source of inspiration. Her
childhood has a significant effect on writing skills. The
emergent black women in the rural south and New York City
has been her main concern as a writer. Her works include The
sea Birds are still alive My Love and Gorilla. In the Lesson the
Harlem depiction and characters in her short story are
convincing and vivid. This makes the reader start imaging how
the city smells, traffic noise, and characters picture. The story
is narrated in the first person by an impoverished child who
stayed with her neighbor Miss Moore. Miss Moore is a very
educated and enlightened woman who was ready to open young
girls mind by taking them out. I enjoyed reading this story and
watching the narrator and protagonist a young girl name Sylvia
evolve over the course of the story and symbolism the author
uses to describe Miss Moore.
“Miss Moore is her name. The only woman on the block with no
first name.” (428 Bambara). The focus is on her last name and
her last name alone. There is no need to make mention of any
other name because the author purposely wants you to focus on
the name Moore. Her name is Moore, and, in the story, she is
requiring the neighborhood children to want more for
themselves as she wants more for them also. College educated
with no makeup and proper speech Miss Moore hopes to
encourage the children to start envisioning a life outside of the

2. impoverished reality that they are currently apart of. The
children were not able to move out of Harlem to any other part
of the nation, but here is miss Moore using her knowledge and
experience to guide these children by changing their views and
mindset of what they should strive to attain. By taking these
children outside of their neighborhood to the other side of town
to F.A.O Schwartz miss Moore is attempting to open their eyes
to more possibilities and spark in them a desire to get their
piece of the American dream. She believes they should have a
chance at the wealth that America promises.
Sylvia is one of the children who Miss Moore has taken under
her wing to guide but Sylvia is not a fan of miss Moore starting
out. Although school has let out for the summer, Miss Moore
had something different in her mind. Miss Moore plans an
unexpected trip and Sylvia is not in the mood to waste her
summer following behind nappy headed black as hell cept for
her eerily white feet miss know it all miss Moore. Sylvia says,
“And school supposed to let up in summer I heard, but she
never lets up” (Bambara, 428). A child’s mindset is one of the
essential things to consider in th
Work Cited
Bambara, Toni Cade. Lesson. 1st ed., eFictions, Cengage
Learning, 2002, pp. 197-202.
DiYanna, Robert. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, and
Drama. New York, NY: Mc-Graw Hill, 2007. Print.

3. Miss Moore s described as an college educated women who is
independent as there is no mention of a man associated with
her. Her name is Moore and In the story she is requiring the
neighborhood children to want more for themselves as she
wants more for them also. Miss Moore hopes to encourage the
children to start envisioning a life out side of the improvished
reality that they are currently apart of.
The sail boat theme Sugar were the only ones just right”
(Bambara 197). She helped all children and never cared if they
are related by blood or education. It is fascinating to see the
way Toni described this woman’s ambition and vision of
changing the black community. This detail is crucial because it
indicates how Sylvia thinks about her and what Moore was
trying to accomplish.
The story “The lesson” is one of the most critical stories
because of the time that it was published when society was
changing. Miss Moore is an African American woman and one
of the successful people in 1980s; she dedicated her life to
helping the poor by exposing their minds to the world. This
section struck an accord with me based on what this woman
wanted to achieve, and she never allowed her dreams, and
others fade away. She went to college and believed that she has
the responsibility of holding little girl’s hand and showing them
the way. She says, “Back in the days when everyone was old
and stupid or young and foolish and me and When Miss Moore
took the children around the town, she taught new things and
those that they do not think about for instance, “how much
things cost and what our parents make and how much goes for
rest and how money isn’t divided up right in this country,
etc...”(Bambara ). It seemed that most children cared less about
what Moore did to them, but Sylvia stated that she would stop
anything that she is doing to think about it. This makes the
reader believe that the event and Moore effort meant something
to them.
The change of setting is a vital thing because it influences the

4. way they grow up. I believe it is a blessing for Miss Moore to
take children to the adventure. The theme of changing times at
this time in history is evident from the story; being an open
mind is vital for children success. I liked everything that
Moore was doing, and society should emulate her. Therefore, I
would recommend anyone to read the story.