The injustice of life is widely spread across the world and throughout time. Poverty and disparity are the critical elements of societal distress, and numerous national and ideological attempts have been made in order to eliminate societal and financial inequalities. However, most of these attempts have failed to exempt people from the unfair nature of existence. Among them were communism and socialism, which possess a noble and ambitious goal to bring socioeconomic equality among citizens. Nevertheless, capitalism has shown itself as being the most effective system that brings prosperity and growth at the cost of a high level of inequality. “The Lesson” written by Toni Cade Bambara is a story of societal and economic unfairness seen through the eyes of Sylvia – a girl who lives in a poor neighborhood and evidently lacks proper education. Miss Moore is a character that brings an important message to all children, which states that prosperity is attainable and accessible to everyone if the required steps are taken.
Analysis
The given story begins with a description of Sylvia’s worldview and her level of understanding the intentions of Miss Moore. These two significant characters symbolize the educator and the uneducated, where the latter resists the help due to the lack of knowledge. Sylvia positions herself as a rebellious and eccentric teenager with the miscomprehending attitude toward Miss Moore. The teacher is open-heartedly and vigorously trying to send the message of hope for prosperous future (Bambara 1-2).
The interaction and relationship between Moore and Sylvia are interesting ones, mainly due to the fact that they represent the same people who were brought up under profoundly different circumstances and environment. Moreover, Moore’s behavioral pattern does not fluently resonate with the teenager’s approach towards life. Sylvia’s perspective and her worldview are clearly shown in the story as of a typical poor neighborhood girl who handles everything with caution and aggressive nature. On the other hand, Miss Moore illustrates the possibility and result of an education that led to her wisdom and knowledge. Although Sylvia assumes that Miss Moore behaves in a highly unusual and unconventional way that does not fit her philosophy of life, Sylvia’s rebellious approach vanishes after Miss Moore arranges the visit to a toy shop outside her town (Bambara 1-4). The story and its two main characters represent the core issues of racism and minority problems, which are deeply rooted in the African-American history of oppression and poverty (Seider et al. 509-524). Miss Moore poses as a catalyzer of improvement and change, whereas Sylvia is a shy and cautious poor community, which is highly reluctant to future advancements (Bambara 3).
Noting the characteristic feature of the writing is unavoidable due to the fact that it demonstrates the significance and meaning of the story, which is inequality and unjust nature of reality. Although numerous symbolic elements are present throughout the story, where Sylvia and other kids realize the immense difference between them and the wealthy. This gap is represented through prices of toys and how those values are outrageously way above Sylvia’s purchasing power (Bambara 4). The toy shop was an eye-opening experience that made kids realize to question their way of life and understand that there is more to be attained and there are higher goals out there. Sylvia states: “Who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and $1,000 for toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live and how come we ain’t in on it?” (Bambara 5). The shop and toy prices carry symbolic purpose of wealth and poverty that are applied not only to the African-American community but also any minority and disadvantaged people.
Both characters and symbols of the story are essential elements, which assist in an understanding of the concept of inequality. The United States has always been a leading nation in terms of striving for prosperity and freedom. However, it is also known as a country with the highest wealth gap across the globe. African-American communities are the ones, which are disadvantaged the most in terms of the income inequality (Meyer and Sullivan 10). The story is trying to address the given problem and proposes a possible solution, which is to educate and show youngster the way towards a better life of prosperity and wealth. Both Sylvia and Miss Moore come from the same environment, nevertheless, Moore has gained necessary knowledge and insight that can help the uneducated youth. Her lesson of self-improvement has an essential significance for Sylvia and other kids regardless of their appreciation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the story has clearly suggested the solution to the core problem of the African-American community, which is to motivate and encourage young members of the community to lead a prosperous life. Although Sylvia is highly reluctant to Miss Moore’s preaching about money management and education, the key benefit of the lesson is yet to be gained. The children may not currently realize it, however, the message about the possibility of wealth and enrichment was fully acquired. Miss Moore’s approach was an important one because she explained the critical information needed and showed her students the results of implementing the given knowledge.
Works Cited
Bambara, Toni Cade. The Lesson. 1972, Web.
Meyer, Bruce D. and James X. Sullivan. Consumption and Income Inequality in the U.S. Since the 1960s. The Journal of Economic Research, 2017, Web.
Seider, Scott, et al. “Black and Latinx Adolescents’ Developing Beliefs about Poverty and Associations with their Awareness of Racism.” Developmental Psychology, vol. 3, no. 55, 2019, pp. 509-524