After reading, Toni Cade Bambara’s short story ” The Lesson”. My plan is to name my essay ‘’ Emotional growth and inner conflict”. Sylvia’s journey is characterized by a complex emotional landscape. Her journey from ignorance to awareness is filled with misunderstanding, anger, and finally, realization. This inner conflict reminds me of the common experience of growing up, as kids have trouble understanding how to fit in with the world. The turning point that she experiences at the toy store captures her battle with emotions of insufficiency and tough realities of value, both fundamental and physical. Some topics I would cover throughout my essay are character development, symbolism, conflict resolution and themes of forgiveness and acceptance. By concentrating on these elements, my essay can provide further insight into the complex nature of inner conflict and emotional development, expanding our comprehension of the character’s journey beyond socioeconomic factors.
Daily Archives: September 22, 2024
When writing an essay about Toni Cade Bambara’s story “The Lesson”, I would focus on Sylvia’s strong opposition to Miss Moore’s lessons. I would try to connect her feelings with the broader socio-economic issue of black children’s relationship with education during that time. When Sylvia described Miss Moore’s educational background, she spoke about her being a college graduate with disdain. When she briefly described Miss More’s relationship with the community, she notes that her neighbors spoke about Miss Moore “behind her back like a dog”. They spoke about the fact that she didn’t go to church but would feel shameful when she brought them gifts. To me, this speaks to the testament of how black people disregarded education because it was unattainable. This might be the reason why Sylvia treats Miss Moore and her lessons with open hostility; her lessons remind her of the education that Sylvia knows deep down how hard it would be for her to achieve. Throughout the story, Sylvia is depicted as a little girl with immense pride and a strong sense of independence. She marches to her own beat and drags along her friend, Sugar, for the ride. The combination of her pride and independence mixed with her socio-economic background is something that a lot of black people during that time period used to disparage education.
I think this essay focuses more than the socio-economic issues in “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, you might look at how Slyvia grows and becomes more self-aware. At first, Sylvia is resistant, shown when she says, ” I’m really hating this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree”, which emphasizes her first defiance towards Miss Moore. By the end, Sylvia reflection ” Ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin,” shows she’s starting to think differently and she feels more determined. Another perspective is Miss Moore could be seen as pushing the kids to see things differently, especially when she said, “Where we are is who we are,” encouraging them to question their surroundings. The toy store could symbolize dreams, when a toy is expensive it represents both dreams and aspirations: the wanting and The work. If I had to give this a title for this essay it would probably be “Growth and Symbols”.
So after reading “ The Lesson” by Toni Cade, I can see that the essay shifts focus away from the socioeconomic theme that could have been more explored into a intricate dynamic in the character development, relationship and identity. One possible approach that could have been analyze the narrators point of view, on how her defiance and internal conflict including the eventual introspection reflecting her coming of age process. But with the subtle tension between Miss Moore’s and Sylvia shows more about their personalities and the cultural divided between them. Also another interesting thing is the importance of the setting because how Bambara contrast the world of Harlem with the affluent Fifth Avenue store. In other words I would have renamed the essay title as “ Beneath the Surface”.
After reading Toni Cade Bambara’s short story ” The Lesson”, I would center my essay on positive human emotions and traits, such as joy, happiness and kindness. I would title it “Kill Them with Kindness”. In the story, Miss Moore takes the children on a field trip, stopping at an upscale toy store. This experience plants a “seed” of awareness in the children’s minds, sparking both joy and happiness. Miss Moore’s kindness stands out as a key element in the story, but it’s also a source of discomfort for the kids, particularly Sylvia and Sugar, because it represents something unfamiliar to them. Miss Moore’s approach, though well-intentioned, challenges their worldview, making them uneasy about the unfamiliar kindness and lessons she imparts. Ultimately, her actions provoke complex emotions, but they also expose the children to the new experiences and understanding, which Miss Moore’s true lesson-using kindness to help them grow and see the world differently.
