Alan Adames

The short story, The Lesson, left me with thoughts that I find a little hard to describe. The main lesson being taught to the children by Miss Moore seems to be clearly about their socio-economic standing and the disparity between them and the people who may shop in the store. However, there seems to be a lesson more directly targeted towards Sylvia. It’s implied towards the end when Miss Moore says, “Anybody else learn anything today?” She asked that while staring at Sylvia, clearly directing the question at her. It may just be my personal bias, however, Sylvia’s attitude throughout the story possessed an air of entitlement. She would speak ill of others and seemed to think of herself as better than others in certain aspects. She also seemed to lord over her companions. There were also mentions of both anger and shame when upon experiencing the toy store, its atmosphere, and its prices. In the end, Miss Moore’s targeted question was the metaphorical final nail in the coffin that both sparked Sylvia’s competitiveness and humbled her. It made her stop and think about the day and what she experienced. It made her want to be better. That’s what I think I’d try to write about in an essay about this short story. An essay titled “A Lesson on Humility” about Sylvia’s shift and the lesson that was meant for her specifically.