“The Lesson” From The Mentor Whenever there is a civil rights movement going on‚ there are always 3 parties involved. One the Oppressor‚ second the Oppressed and lastly the Activist or the Mentor. The Activists usually always emerges from the Oppressed. That is when the Oppressed intellectuals feel that it’s time to standup to defend the identity of their people and make them strong enough to make a name of their own. This is what happened during the early 20th century within the African American
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"The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara is a short story set in the inner part of New York City that gives the reader an opportunity to briefly see into the lives of children living devoid of wealth and education. It takes place in the early seventies‚ following the civil rights movement and during a time when the imbalance of wealth in terms of race was immense. Bamabara‚ through the use of narrative point of tone‚ symbols‚ setting and characterization‚ brings out and develops what I believe to be the
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low-income family‚ have you ever found yourself shopping at Saxs Fifth Avenue stores? Or if your wealthy‚ do you find yourself worry about the prices of such objects? Is this impartial? In the story‚ "The Lesson" Toni Cade Bambara shows that the reality of the American economic system is unfair. Bambara illustrates her point that class inequality is unjust through the main character‚ Sylvia. From the beginning of the story it is clear that Sylvia is a child living in the Harlem projects of New York.
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Within The Lesson‚ written by Toni Cade Bambara‚ the question of inequality and poverty arises in response to the juxtaposition of the two neighborhoods in the story‚ Harlem and Manhattan. Bambara introduces children as the most important occupants of a typical New York slum‚ mainly in regards to their ability to escape the constraints of their own environment. As highlighted in the story‚ the elders of this African American community have accepted the social inequality and the economic conditions
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“The Lesson” A young‚ poor‚ black girl named Sylvia narrates Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson”. Sylvia is growing up in Harlem during an unspecified time period known only as “back in the days when everyone was old and stupid or young and foolish and me and Sugar were the only ones just right.” (Pg. 2008‚ line 1) One day‚ Sylvia notices that someone new has moved onto the same block that she lives on. The lady is intriguing and “black as hell‚ cept for her feet‚ which were fish-white and spooky”
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“The Lesson” is a short story written by Toni Cade Bambara. This story tells about the effects that social inequality can have on children. It also goes to show that race and financial situations can help motivate children to make a better future for themselves. It is a story about a young African-American girl named Sylvia and her growing understanding of class inequality. The children’s educator Miss Moore introduces the facts of social inequality to the underprivileged group of children‚ of
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“The Lesson”‚ by Toni Cade Bambara is about a girl named Sylvia. She expresses her feelings over her experience at an expensive toy story that her teacher‚ Ms. Moore‚ takes her and her friends to. This trip was designed to teach them the reality of the world and to show them the things they cannot afford in life. Not only why they cannot afford them‚ but to show them that they can be the types of people that can. She aims towards showing Sylvia and the other students how to achieve a better lifestyle
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Toni Cade Bambara uses her story “The Lesson” to point out that America is still not an equal society because of the different income level between rich people and poor people. She considers that the different income levels people have build up the different environment they live in‚ and where people are born may cause who they are if Americans keep ignoring the unequal facts appear around them. (253-259) Bambara’s story gives readers a good view from poor people to look at the differences between
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The short story‚ “The Lesson‚” by Toni Cade Bambara‚ portrays one of the most interesting themes in literature‚ the initiation story. The story illustrates a group of kids who live in the slums in New York city. They are unaware of their environment‚ and Ms. More is conscious of this situation. In a basis‚ she teaches the kids life lessons to help them strive for success and attempt to better themselves and their situations. In this occasion‚ she brings them to a toy story‚ but not just a common
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Innocence as a Handicap in Toni Cade Bambara’s "The Lesson" Sylvia’s initiation in the short story The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara‚ is striking because Miss Moore gives the opportunity to the children to evaluate the difference between the fifth avenue and their poor neighborhood. However‚ one of the story’s main themes is that innocence is a handicap and the political and moral innocence that are represented from the beginning to the end of the story brings the main character to many reflections
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