The Lesson By Tony Cade Bambara Analysis

Benjamin Watanabe

Mrs. Dawman

English 2200

28 April 2023

A lesson for everyone As an avid reader of symbolic text, often the strongest messages are told through representations. Direct confrontations of provocative ideas and concepts, often fail in carrying over a point and moral. “The Lesson” written by Tony Cade Bambara is a timeless story because of its discussion of economic rifts, education, society, and lastly how the story paints the United States through the eyes of children.

Right as the story begins, we are introduced to the socioeconomic situation the narrator, Sylvia, experiences. Where Sylvia lives, in the hoods of New York, everyone is characterized as being poor and without education. The children of the street have much more

In a way, this strongly resembles “Sweat”, by Zora Neale Hurston. In Sweat, the author uses dialogue to represent the situation of a married couple, and the mishaps of her husband who cheats on her. This dialogue not only makes the story more “real”, but provides more insight on how the individuals communicate. This revealed a different form of English dialogue than many are used to, introducing a unique, beautiful native culture. While they approach completely different topics, they both successfully illustrate the effect of poverty on communities. “The Lesson” did this by revealing the perspective of innocent kids, while “Sweat” did it through demonstrating the poor conditions that ultimately lead to a severe drop in person to person relationship health. As for a story that discusses social division and wealth, this story sets itself apart by putting the conflict in the eyes and perspective of kids. This is very much like “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D. H . Lawrence, where the pressure to bring more money is seen directly through the child. However, it differs in that it discusses the downsides to wealth. The “Rocking-Horse Winner” feels more as a plea to the downsides of being rich, which is a concept that poorly resonates with struggling communities. While it cannot be fair to choose one economic hardship over another, the discussion of

In a world wrapped within chaos and fighting, “The Lesson” takes a different look: education. Rather than the protests or bitterness that characterizes social change, this story almost wants to say “It is more important to teach, than it is to fight”. Often those who are placed taught will go on to bring upon change, as the children today are the future of tomorrow. For me, this is something I can absolutely apply in my everyday life. Formerly being an individual who wanted to “fight” everyone, I have found great joy in teaching. In the future, I want to make sure regardless of what career path I take, to focus on educating others, or helping educational opportunities be accessible. An example of this providing more affordable, accessible non-profit chess events that provide a ground for competition and improvement. Just as the introduction of sports such as basketball, these provide other forms of excellence that can bring communities out of poverty. The greatest tool to fight mishaps in the world, is to make knowledge accessible to everyone, just as Miss Moore taught the kids on 5th avenue that one