Jayda Fairbairn Discussion 3

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.