The Lesson

A detailed Summary of The Lesson

Anger is such a common word in everyday language and society. It is an emotion, a violent passion that is usually caused by real or supposed injury. Anger can result from something as major as bodily harm or as trivial as not being able to afford a toy. In Toni Cade Bambara=s short story AThe Lesson,@ the audience is shown how anger can be expressed at an early age. One would think that children in their carefree lives would not allow the injustices of society to cause them anger. Bambara=s use of child to portray her feelings about the value systems at work in the dominant culture and in her own life, helps her to grasp her audience=s attention and forces them to continue reading to find out the end consequences. Sylvia, the main character in the story, inspires Bambara=s audience to take a look at the economic class structure in the American society.

In AThe Lesson,@ Bambara reveals her anger about the economic value systems in America through Sylvia. Sylvia is a ten-year old African American girl who is on an outing with the neighborhood children. Miss Moore, a lady who feels that it is her duty to teach the kids certain lessons that will aid them later in life, is the leader of this journey. Miss Moore feels that it is her r

Anger, like all emotions, is something that takes hold of a person=s attention and keeps it until he or she finds out why there is so much hostility. Bambara uses this powerful emotion as a tool to keep her audience=s attention. Since the audience does not expect to find such built-up anger and hostility in a child, Bambara accomplishes her goal of grasping her audience=s attention through the end. She forces them to understand Sylvia=s anger and frustration. Sylvia learns and so does the audience from Sugar=s observations that A... this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don=t it?@ (422). When people are not given the same opportunities and chances for success and happiness anger is formed within the left-out party. This anger is what keeps Bambara=s audience.

Bambara appropriately uses anger in this work. This emotion forces Sylvia to reach down within herself. She wants to go above and beyond her means. This is displayed when she says that A... ain=t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin@ (423). The fact that there are rich people in the world that can buy basically anything with their money and Sylvia cannot do the same A... just pisses her off@ (420). She intends to work harder so that she can accomplish her own personal goals. Sylvia

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 886
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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The Lesson

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