Adam Varca Discussion 3

Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” utilizes language and setting in a particular way to move the story along it’s tracks and represent its main idea. As the neighborhood in which the narrator, Sylvia, and her friends/family is introduced to Miss Moore, there reactions aren’t quite positive about her. The narrator immediately introduces her as having, “nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup”, which highlights Miss Moore’s seeming disregard for appearance, yet mentioning her proper speech seems to be a trait that stands out from the others. As the narrator describes her further, she is often highlighting her flaws or belittling her.

The story begins to take shape when the characters go out of their neighborhood with Miss Moore, who is “boring [them] silly” about the financial state of the country and the reality of their parents living situations. Though the characters seem to take no interest in the matter, being introduced to a toy store on Fifth Avenue (assuming in Manhattan) soon brings out their self-realization about their situations, and forces them to think of the differences in their lives compared to the lives of those who treat money like it’s disposable.

In the toy store, the children have all sorts of reactions, yet one intriguing reaction had was their almost trance and disbelief. Looking at the price tags, they imagine the lives of those who would spend such amounts on simply toys, and compare the amount of money to how it would be used in their own lives. It is even described how with $35 Sylvia’s family could take a trip, or be able to pay for rent and a piano bill. These comparisons also help identify the time in which the narrative takes place.

Considering how language is utilized, and the importance of setting being described in the narrative, the title of this essay would likely be, “Understanding Where One Stands: The Way Language and Setting Synergize in “The Lesson”.