In The Lesson, Toni Cade Bambara recounts black life of the New York Harlem in the 1960s. She uses fiction to portray the real life situations of black children in that area. The purpose of this story is to send a message of the reality of the circumstances that black peoples faced in this time by deriving from her own experiences and from the civil rights movement of the time. She tells this story from the viewpoint of a young girl living in Harlem to showcase how the inequality of lifestyles not only affects children, but leaves a lasting impression. Critical race theory is categorically explored because the time period of this piece of writing is of a time when inequality and segregation were still glaringly common and accepted.
Bambara
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narrates the story of a young smart girl, Sylvia, who grows up in the streets of Harlem, New York. Her voice, a first-person point of view, is that of a strong preadolescent girl who is aware of her circumstances, and is aggressively irritated by them. When her mentor figure asks her if they “know what money is, like we a bunch of retards…right away I’m tired of this and say so” (Bambara 271). Despite her sourness, this little girl has a very rich and colorful approach to life. She is witty and always has a response at the tip of her tongue which derives from the fact that as a child on the streets, she must always be alert. Sylvia is wise beyond her years because she acknowledges there is a deeper meaning to the lesson when Miss Moore asks “Anybody else learn anything today?” and she observes Miss Moore “lookin dead at me” (Bambara 276). There is a silent agreement that Sylvia understood the underlying message. Bambara uses a child’s perspective to bring to the forefront a sense of innocence that cannot be achieved with an adult main character. Sylvia’s character shines as an independent woman despite her youth and lack of role models. Her wisdom underlying the childlike innocence paints her as very observant and knowledge. Her confidence is exemplified by her saying, “But ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin” (Bambara 276). Her attitude calls for action a change in this society where she refuses to be stomped on. The civil rights movement, beginning in the 1960s, brought to light the racism and inherent differences of the lives of black people in America.
In The Lesson, Bambara approaches the class differences through the eyes of a child to further showcase that younger generations are affected by the stereotypes and unfair circumstances. When Miss Moore teaches Sylvia a lesson on spending money, there is an overarching theme. This one lesson on spending money is a euphemism for the inequalities that they face as black people of this time period. Even though slavery was long abolished, black people were not given the same treatment as white people—which continues to present day. As a child, Sylvia shouldn’t be ashamed to want a toy, but when she walks into the toy store, “But I feel funny, shame. But what I got to be shamed about? Got as much right to go in as anybody. But somehow I can’t seem to get hold of the door, so I step away” (Bambara 274). This example shows the effects of the remnants of racism on a black child. She is made to feel less than for indulging in the opportunity to want something expensive. Sylvia picks up that Miss Moore is actually pointing out the discrete inequalities of lifestyles by stressing the importance of her education. Sylvie is taken to a toy store with children from her street and they are rightfully shocked by the world they have stepped into which was so different from what they were used to. This is highlighted when Sylvia says “imagine for a …show more content…
minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven” (Bambara 276). That level of understanding for a child illustrates the fact that the harsh effects are observed from a young age and continue lifelong. In a recent South Florida Times article, Calloway points out the reality of that society is that there “were so many youths and young adults who had phased school out of their lives and had become dropouts, and those for whom formal education was never a panacea and, therefore, basic skills were at bare minimum levels” (Calloway 4). If this status quo is not changed in the minds of young black children, they will only assume that they must fall into a lesser off category. By growing up in this urban and segregated setting, Miss Moore is aware of this fact and uses a façade, the lesson, to enlighten Sylvia (Bambara 270-276). In The Lesson, when Sylvia must come to terms with the reality of her situation, she faces an internal conflict. She has many mixed feelings about her lifestyle. On one hand, she is proud, but at the same time, she is ashamed of being outside her stereotypical place in society (Bambara 274). This is apparent when she hesitates to enter the toy store with predominantly white people and states that “for some reason, this pisses me off” (Bambara 273). In the urban environment that she lives in, Harlem, Sylvia is constantly reminded of her position and status quo. Shukla, author of a journal article on 1970s Harlem, notices that “Harlem carries a great deal of symbolic weight: representing the enduring problematic of race in America, the global question of the claims of blackness, and the modern dilemma of how different peoples exist together” (Shukla 171). The demographic of people who live in Harlem is predominantly black. Bambara uses this as a backdrop to convey the message of civil rights and inequalities. Bambara accurately conveys how the civil rights movement was significant to the black population of Harlem, New York through her description of these children’s living conditions. She uses the setting of Harlem to represent America as a whole because New York City was and is a melting pot of cultures and peoples such as “Jews, Italians, Puerto Ricans, African Americans, Senegalese, South Asians, Mexicans, and Central Americans, and many others” (Shukla 173). Especially for black people, Harlem was a community and safe space to interact freely. Shukla states in her studies that, “Several decades before the 1970s, Harlem had become established as the center of black art and culture, and its central and western regions had been inhabited by African Americans” (Shukla 175). This is why Sylvia and the other children who lived on her street were not afraid to speak their minds and spent so much time out on the streets. However, this comfort was only present in their neighborhood; once taken out of it and placed in the toy store, all the children did not know how to react to their surroundings (Bambara 270-276). Even though progress was being made, a level of comfort among likeminded people was not reached in foreign environments. There was a different mindset and approach to life between the average black person and wealthy white person in that time period (Shukla 171-175). This is embodied when Miss Moore says “‘Well, what do you think of F.A.O. Schwarz?’ Rosie Giraffe mumbles, ‘White folks crazy’” (Bambara 275). The luxury of spending money on toy was such a foreign concept to these children who lived in Harlem. The civil rights movement could only affect certain changes, but could not change mindsets of the people. In The Lesson, Bambara successfully portrays the long lasting effects of an unspoken racial separation on young black children.
Sylvia’s character observes the internal conflict of emotions because despite her pride and independence, she is uncertain if she should enter a toy store (Bambara 274). It is important to note that in this short story, Bambara calls out the implicit, yet drastic difference in the lifestyles of poor black families and privileged white families. Although the civil rights movement was alive and thriving, black peoples were still put down. To black children, this gave the impression that they should not reach higher and be proud. The simple lesson of spending money wisely is a disguise for the inequality of living conditions. Sylvia represents that proud, yet confused black child of 1960s Harlem struggling to find a place in society. The message is implicit just like Sylvia’s internal conflict. The purpose of Bambara’s short story is to convey this message in an innocent way, but still require the reader to read in between the
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Amina Gautier has been awarded with Best African American Fiction and New Stories from the South; in addition, she has successfully created At Risk. Gautier’s story is based on the African American community and the different types of struggle families can realistically face. However, if a white person would have written this exact story it could have been misinterpreted and considered racist. Stereotypes such as fathers not being present, delinquencies and educational status are presented in the various short stories.
The transition of being a black man in a time just after slavery was a hard one. A black man had to prove himself at the same time had to come to terms with the fact that he would never amount to much in a white dominated country. Some young black men did actually make it but it was a long and bitter road. Most young men fell into the same trappings as the narrator’s brother. Times were hard and most young boys growing up in Harlem were swept off their feet by the onslaught of change. For American blacks in the middle of the twentieth century, racism is another of the dark forces of destruction and meaninglessness which must be endured. Beauty, joy, triumph, security, suffering, and sorrow are all creations of community, especially of family and family-like groups. They are temporary havens from the world''s trouble, and they are also the meanings of human life.
Second, in Bambara’s original, we revisit everyday life lessons multiple times. Cartwright summarizes one lesson as follows, “When Big Butt expresses his yearning for the microscope the children see at F.A.O. Schwarz, Miss Moore seizes the occasion to teach science and launched into a lecture on the invisible world around us” (61). He also wants us to consider the monetary lessons Sylvia is learning by keeping the change from the taxi ride as well. He uses her internal debate on the cost of a $35 clown and $1000 sailboat to indicate this additional
The lessons that are taught through experience are usually the ones that stick with children for a lifetime. In Toni Cade Bambara's “The Lesson”, Miss Moore, a prominent character in the story, teaches a lesson to underprivileged children growing up in Harlem. Bambara's work is described as “stories [that] portray women who struggle with issues and learn from them.” (Vertreace, Par. 48) Bambara uses Miss Moore and her characteristics to teach Sylvia and the other children about social inequality and the idea of pursuing personal aspirations regardless of social status. Miss Moore has many admirable characteristics; she's intelligent, patient and caring.
"The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara is not just a spirited story about a poor girl out of place in an expensive toy store, it is a social commentary. "The Lesson" is a story about one African-American girl's struggle with her growing awareness of class inequality. The character Miss Moore introduces the facts of social inequality to a distracted group of city kids, of whom Sylvia, the main character, is the most cynical. Flyboy, Fat Butt, Junebug, Sugar, Rosie, Sylvia and the rest think of Miss Moore as an unsolicited educator, and Sylvia would rather be doing anything else than listening to her. The conflict between Sylvia and Miss Moore, "This nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree" (307), represents more than the everyday dislike of authority by a young adolescent. Sylvia has her own perception of the way things work, her own "world" that she does not like to have invaded by the prying questions of Miss Moore. Sylvia knows in the back of her mind that she is poor, but it never bothers her until she sees her disadvantages in blinding contrast with the luxuries of the wealthy. As Miss Moore introduces her to the world of the rich, Sylvia begins to attribute shame to poverty, and this sparks her to question the "lesson" of the story, how "money ain't divided up right in this country" (308).
Bambara gives the readers insight on the poverty and struggle minorities endured while living in the ghetto slums of New York. The goal of the author was coherent and exemplified throughout the story; Bambara had plenty of goals when writing this story. Although the fight for racial equalities were apparent in “The Lesson,” this was not the only aspect being fought for. Social and economic equalities were also fought for in this story. Bambara’s goal was set loud and clear throughout this story: the fight for racial and socioeconomic equalities is never
One of the symbols used in this short story is the hat that Julian’s mother and the black woman on the bus wear. Ironically, these hats represent both women sharing the same rights and equalities; both races ride the same bus, sitting in the same seats; and both like the same fashions. Another symbol is the penny that Julian’s mother gives to the little black boy, representing th...
Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi and Mark Mathabane’s Kaffir Boy are both coming-of-age narratives that were written through the eyes and experiences of young people who grew up in a world of apartheid. Although, it should be noted that they both have parallels in their stories as well as distinctions one should take into account the times and places in which each occurred. While Coming of Age in Mississippi occurred during a Jim Crow era in the American South, between 1944 and 1968, Kaffir Boy’s autobiographical narrative occurred in the regime of South Africa’s apartheid struggle from 1960 to 1978 in the town of Alexandra. During the late 20th century both narratives offer a framework of racism, a value and yearn for education and the struggle and will to survive. This essay will compile how both narratives experienced their areas race-relations given the time and place that they are in.
Sometimes growing up we experience situations that can change our perspective on life. Especially, when these situations happen unexpectedly; we are in disbelief. In Toni Cade Bambara short story “The Lesson” written in first person; it delves into the struggle of a girl, Sylvia, who realizes the economic and social injustice surrounding her. However, with the help of Miss Moore Sylvia comes to grip with this issue, and opts to overcome it. In “The Lesson” Miss Moore wanted to impart on Sylvia and the other children is the value of a dollar, the importance of education, and to fathom the social and economic injustice that bounded them.
This brings us to the Toni Morrison short story “Recitatif”. This short story encourages an African American or ethnically minded style of understanding. The driving force for the thoughts and actions of both Twyla, Roberta, and the other characters is race and race relations. Those two events may seem like nothing, but it shows how even at the early age of 8, children are taught to spot the differences in race instead of judging people by their character.
One of the first things Williams noticed in the store was the workers themselves and the genders and races of people and the hierarchy of positions in both stores. In both toy stores, they had directors at the top, then management, supervisors, the associates, security, and cleaning crew. In Toy Warehouse, the directors and management were all white males except for Olive an African-American women, and the associates were both men and women, all of different races. The men mainly worked in the backroom and the women were the cashiers. The security officers at Toy Warehouse black men and the c...
Different social classes come with different perspectives and challenges, usually the belief is that higher society is much happier than those in the lower rank, but not including race into the education does not give all sides of that story. By evaluating parts in Cane by Jean Toomer, Quicksand and Passing by Nella Larsen, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston story of class and race is being told. Color and classism have gone hand in hand for many years and evaluating the lives of characters that are considered the lowest of the low and yet made it up the totem pole brings up an important discussion. The conflicting ideas of race and class actually encourage racism and ruin the lives of characters in the black bourgeoisie.
Today, blacks are respected very differently in society than they used to be. In “The Help”, we see a shift in focus between what life is like now for the average African American compared to what it was like for them to live in the 1960’s.“The Help” teaches readers the importance of understanding and learning from our history. The novel is a snapshot of the cultural, racial and economic distinctions between blacks and whites in a particularly tumultuous time in American history. “The Help” encourages readers to examine personal prejudices and to strive to foster global equality.
To begin with, the reader gets a sense of Sylvia's personality in the beginning of the story as she talks about Miss Moore. Miss Moore is not the typical black woman in the neighborhood. She is well educated and speaks well. She has climbed up against the odds in a time where it was almost unheard of for a black woman to go to college. She is a role model for the children who encourages them to get more out of life. Sylvia's opinion of her is not one of fondness. She says that she hates Miss Moore as much as the "winos who pissed on our handball walls and stand up on our hallways and stairs so you couldn't halfway play hide and seek without a god damn mask”(357). By comparing the hatred with something she enjoys, we get to see what a child does in the slums for amusement. Sylvia feels t...
The narrator of the story is a young, black girl name Sylvia and the story is also told from her perspective. The setting is not clear. Perhaps it started in Harlem and then to downtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue and the time of the story took place is also unclear. Bambara uses a great deal of characterization to describe the characters in the story. For example, Bambara describes Miss Moore as “black as hell” (Bambara 330), “cept her feet, which were fish-white and spooky” (Bambara 330), and “looked like she was going to church” (Bambara 330). She later tells us that she’s been to college and her state of mind is she believes it’s her responsibility for the children’s education. The plot started when Miss Moore rounded up all of the children by the mailbox. Then she gets the kids in a cab and took them to Fifth Avenue to a big toy store where the rich people would shop. The story then continues with the children and Miss Moore in the toy store and the kids looking around and noticing they can’t afford anything. Which will soon end the plot with a lesson that society is not fair, “that this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to purse happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don’t it?”(Bambara 330). Hence, the lesson Miss Moore is trying to teach these