Sylvis's Story

Sylvia’s Struggle With Reality: Socioeconomic Inequality Exists In This Country. “ The Lesson” by Tonic Cade Bambara Brings attention to a group of poor black children from the slums of Harlem who get an eye-opening explanation of how society and wealth are unequally divided in the world. Miss Moore was the only educated member in the community Sylvia, the narrator and one of the main characters in the story, has an internal struggle that she doesn’t fully understand. At first the reader may think that the major conflict in the story is between Sylvia and Miss Moore Because of her description Of Miss Moore’s “nappy hair and Proper speech and no makeup” (385). As an educated black woman Miss Moore feels a sense of obligation to educate children in her poverty Stricken neighborhood by being a Role model, exposing them a world that exists Outside of the one in which they live and to open their eyes to the socioeconomic inequality that exists in the world . As Sylvia Learns that socioeconomic inequality is a harsh reality her internal struggle with being poor is externalized through a cluster of emotions including shame, denial, confusion, anger, and envy. In “The Lesson” Miss Moore takes Sylvia and the rest of the children to the F.A.O. Schwarz Store not to make them used feel bad but to show them “how money ain’t divided up right in the slums”(386). She wants to open their eyes to current living conditions, the wealthy lifestyle that exists beyond their world and the important of education. This trip to the toy stories full of life lessons. When Miss Moore Puts Sylvia in charge and gives her five dollars to pay the cab driver and tip him ten percent she’s testing her math skills. Instead of admitting she doesn’t know how to figure the tip , Sylvia avoids the issue by trying to get the others to jump out of the cab and run off and do other things with the money. When they don’t take her bait and ultimately end up at their destination, Sugar has