Characters
The story, "The Lesson," is told through this character's point of view.
Who is Sylvia?
Miss Moore takes the kids on a field trip to this famous toy store.
Where is F.A.O. Schwartz?
This is the full name of the author of "The Lesson."
The children see this learning instrument in the toy store, which Miss Moore says you can never "outgrow."
What is a microscope?
Before their trip to the toy store, this is what Miss Moore tells the kids she wants to teach them.
What is money and how it "ain't divided up right" in this country?
This character received a college education and speaks "proper English."
Who is Miss Moore?
Bambara provides some description of the neighborhood where the kids live. How does she describe it?
What is smelly and run-down?
The author was raised in this part of New York, where the story is also set.
Where is Harlem?
The kids don't recognize what this object made of semi-precious stones is at first.
What is a paperweight?
Sylvia (and Sugar) both hesitate before entering the toy store. Why do they do this?
They don't feel like they fit into the fancy toy store and feel shame.
This character says, "You know, Miss Moore, I don't think all of us put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs."
The kids take this mode of transportation in order to get to the toy store.
What is a taxi?
In addition to being a writer, Bambara also worked in this occupation.
What is a professor of English?
What is the significance of the fact that the kids don't have paperweights in their homes? What does this show about their home lives?
It shows that they don't have desks at home, which suggests that reading and writing are not a normal part of their home lives.
Why does Miss Moore want to take charge of the children, even though they aren't her own children?
She wants to teach them the importance of being educated like she is.
This character claims to not have a home in order to evoke sympathy from white folks.
Who is Flyboy?
The kids are most surprised by the cost of this particular toy.
What is a sailboat?
Bambara is known as a major contributor to this type of literature or literary tradition.
What is Black or African American literature?
When Sylvia learns that the toy clown costs $35, what does she say could be bought for the same amount?
What are bunkbeds, a visit to Granddaddy Nelson, the rent and piano bill, too?
How does Sylvia's reaction to the toy store contrast with the rest of the kids'? Why do you think she reacts this way?
She begin to get angry when she realizes how unfair the world is.
This character is the most "dynamic" character who changes over the course of the story.
Who is Sylvia?
The kids go on their field trip with Miss Moore to this particular part of New York.
Where is Fifth Avenue?
"The Lesson" is known for its incorporation of this particular dialect, which Bambara has been celebrated for using in her writing.
What is Black English or Ebonics?
The woman is wearing the coat on a hot day, which indicates that she is wearing it as a status symbol. It is a symbol of the class divide between the rich white and poor black people living in New York.
What is the significance of the last few lines of the story, "She can run if she want to and even run faster. But ain't nobody gonna beat me at nuthin."
It shows that Sylvia is determined to change her own circumstances and that she is unwilling to allow herself to be "beaten" by an economic system that places her at the bottom.