Social Class In Bambara's 'The Lesson'

When I first read the short story “The Lesson” I immediately was drawn to the character Sylvia. She is obviously the most outspoken and dynamic character in the short story, however, I saw more to her than a first glance read of an angry, bitter, and cynical girl. Partly I saw more to where she came from, because I understood that on a personal level. I also saw underneath and believe that under that hard facade is someone whose circumstances truly shaped their life whether they were aware of it or not. From looking at the sociological effects of poverty on children it is now even clearer to me that Sylvia’s less than pleasant demeanor was a result of the circumstances she was born into.

In a perfect world everyone would be on a level playing

These kids feel out of place and do not know how to act because they are out of their element. Sylvia could hardly walk through the front door when she got there and once they were all in there Sylvia says they all were “walkin on tiptoe and hardly touchin the games and puzzles and things” (Bambara 59). This “geographical separation of the poor from the rest of an area” is an example of residential segregation within “The Lesson.” The segregation of neighborhoods usually carries a “racial connotation as well” (Ferris and Stein 206), keeping black neighborhoods separated from white ones in the nineteenth century. Sylvia’s chance to demand her “share of the pie” (Bambara 59) is now harder just because of the separation and lack of equality that surrounds

In most cases parents from poor families are preoccupied with needing to work, or may be suffering from irritable or depression symptoms that they do not find time to enrich children with learning or cultural experiences within the home. Sylvia only makes a point to mention her family, particularly her mother a couple of times in the entire short story. From what I did read I can only infer that Sylvia’s mother is around but not present in her life. Sylvia talks about how her and Sugar were under the watch of her Aunt Gretchen “while our mothers were in la-de-da apartment up the block having a good ole time” (Bambara 55). Sylvia not having a strong sense of family support could have caused Sylvia’s relationships outside the home to be strained as