Brian Gomez – “Discussion 3”

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara the story is not just about money problems; it’s also about seeing things in a new way and growing up. Sylvia, who is the main character goes with her teacher who is named Miss Moore and her friends to a fancy toy store. At first Sylvia is upset because she can’t buy anything but as the day goes on she starts to understand more. Then Miss Moore takes the kids to the store to show them that some people are rich and some are poor and that not everyone gets the same chances in life. At first Sylvia didn’t understand. She was very angry and confused because she wanted the toys but she didn’t get why some people have a lot of money while others don’t. So the trip makes her think about things she had never thought about before. This story shows that growing up means learning hard things. But Sylvia doesn’t like it but she starts to see that the world isn’t fair. After the trip she feels like she has to figure out what to do about it. The story teaches that understanding how life works can be hard but it’s important if you want to make a change. In the end of the story Sylvia doesn’t just learn about money. She begins to understand more about how life is different for different people. She’s not just learning about money problems; she’s learning how to think for herself and make her own decisions. A good title for me for an essay about this could be: “Seeing the World Differently: What Sylvia Learns in ‘The Lesson.’”