Various symbols are used in "The Lesson," by Toni Cade Bambara, to represent the social and economic inequality faced by the children in this story. The children, not that they asked for it, are dealt the bad hand by fate. It is up to them to decide what to do about it or even to do anything at all.
A great deal of symbolism can be found by simply examining the name Ms. Moore. Marital status does not define her - notice the Ms. Quite frankly, the reader is not even informed if she is married or even if she has children of her own. She is a very independent woman. Not only does the prefix of Ms. Moore represent that she is independent, but her last name also shows the she wants more for the children, because, according to her, they deserve more. Her purpose is to help the children realize that there is a w
Through the help of Ms. Moore, the children gain the knowledge they need about the world they live in and are able to apply this newly learned information to their lives. The children are educated by example and are shown that they don't have to live in their comfort zone. Even though they are angry about what they have learned, it is necessary for Ms. Moore to show them what they can have, what anyone can have.
A comparison of F.A.O. Schwartz and the Catholic Church is used to represent the life of extravagance only experienced by the wealthy people, the life that these children were never blessed with. The trip to F.A.O. Schwartz reminds Sylvia of the time she and Sugar ventured into the Catholic Church to play a practical joke only to realize, once they had entered, that they could not go through with
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