Shaniyah Chisolm Discussion Board 4

Ms. Moore’s character juxtaposes the narrator, Sylvia’s point of view in a lot of ways. It was done purposely to show the main theme of the story. Class and status is the common theme throughout  “The Lesson”, Toni Cade Bambara uses both characters to show their similarities yet differences. Ms. Moore is depicted as a put-together wealthy educated woman. Not only does she have a college degree but she tries to educate the children in their community. It’s also alluded to that she is unmarried and doesn’t go to church. Sylvia is the opposite. She’s a young girl who is shown to be very outspoken and rowdy. When they go to the store, Ms.Moore is very calm and collected, watching the way the children react to being in the store. Sylvia before heading into the store was very headstrong and confident but after entering was timid. She felt shameful being in the store with such expensive toys far out of her budget. Everyone else in the store is acting unphased, being regular shoppers. 

Ms.Moore took them there on purpose to learn about money. FAO Schwarz represents what Ms.Moore achieved in her life. She can blend in amongst the people in the store while Sylvia starts to understand that the way her family lives compared to people that can shop there is completely different. Bambara uses things we couldn’t imagine being privileges that Sylvia and the other children don’t have such as a desk and stationery in your home. Both characters are very intelligent but have very different ways of living. Ms.Moore’s proper socially acceptable way of living clashes with Sylvia’s childhood rebellion. In the end, both of them have the upper hand, both having the intelligence to understand the way the world works and where they stand in society.