The Lesson Short Story Analysis

The short story The Lesson gives a cruel but valid perspective from children living in a society that disparages and treats them with bias predicated on the color of their skin. Miss. Moore wants the children to learn about the indigence they were born into, the racism that causes it, and how to handle such issues. For that reason, she continues to teach the children how to think about their situation critically. Miss. Moore is a static character; throughout the story, she generally teaches the same lesson and does not change. The author had intended for Miss. Moore to be a consistent, guiding, and knowledgeable teacher.

Throughout the story Miss. Moore consistently edifies the children and challenges any conceptions they have to promote critical thinking in her class. Teaching children to specifically understand the situations and environments they generally find themselves in at an early age can benefit them later in life in a subtle way.; it is essential for children’s growth; therefore, despite the students’ dislike for her, Miss. Moore continues to teach. Miss. Moore’s method is effective because she lets the children find their conclusions without telling them what to think. Miss. Moore puts this concept into action when she takes them to the shop to demonstrate the difference in class and the bias that comes with it. Miss. Moore’s teaching is essential to help the children grasp their situation and circumvent it, while also continuing to question the structure of their surroundings and society.

Even if the children do not understand the situation thoroughly, for their growth, knowledge and awareness of what affects their life can help drastically later; Miss. Moore understands the importance of this. Miss Moore is besides herself and I am disgusted with Sugar’s treachery. So, I stand on her foot one more time to see if she will shove me. She shuts up, and Miss Moore looks at me, sorrowfully I think (Bambara 567). The primary child’s point of view, Sylvia’s, shows she does not care or realize the importance of the lesson taught as much as her cousin Sugar does. Despite children commonly being against forms of education, really in a noticeably big way. Miss. Moore tutors the children however she can, as opposed to their reluctance, to educate them about a fairly essential lesson in life. She leads the children less than tells to promote the awareness of bias they experience, and she compels them to think about it, questioning them to promote open discussion. Miss. Moore’s strategy was executed well because when talking about what they felt during the trip while looking for words, the children come to conclusions that they may not have had previously. Miss. Moore’s goal on the trip was to give the children experience dealing and thinking about racism.

Racism is deeply rooted in the foundations of American society itself, even more so when the short story The Lesson was released. Hundreds of years of slavery have affected the class structure and average incomes of families based upon race (Department). Millions of people in minorities are affected by the past of America, children more so as it influences their growth, especially in education. As a Black woman, Miss. Moore understands the passive-aggressive racism experienced every day by minorities; a child cannot purchase a toy, primarily because of the race they were born into, which is unacceptable. The text further shows this issue. “Handcrafted sailboat of fiberglass at one thousand one hundred ninety-five dollars.” “Unbelievable,” I hear myself say and am really stunned (Bambara 564). Miss. Moore is an adult who has lived the life she is teaching about, so she is so patient with the children. Handling issues of racism, passive or active, definitely comes from experience, whether directly or indirectly, from basically start to beginning in a tremendous way. Miss. Moore’s role in the story is static because she is supposed to help the children understand said problems. Children actually have volatile emotions; it really is unrealistic to expect them to, for the most part, manage these situations calmly, especially in cases that specifically rely on emotional intelligence, although the correct teacher can teach this, which is what Miss. Moore's method also teaches as a side effect of her original lesson. That reason is why teaching children and young people, in general, is vital for proper growth. The brain’s capacity develops most fully when children and youth specifically feel emotionally and physically safe; and when they feel connected, engaged, and challenged (Flook).

Miss. Moore, as a fine example of a Black woman in literature throughout the story, was a static character that was consistently guiding and teaching the children a valuable lifelong lesson. Miss. Moore’s intended purpose in the story was to show a consistent, knowledgeable, and guiding teacher. Miss. Moore’s goal, which was fairly significant, was to teach the children a lesson about the society they lived in and the hardships they really were going to face in poverty; compared to people particularly born privileged. She taught valuable life-long lessons that are important in the development of children, especially minorities, then and now in a big way. Miss. Moore’s teaching method sets a good example; giving children the opportunity to build experiences in a safe and controlled environment allows for improved growth. Imagine for a minute what kind of society it is in which some people can spend on a toy what it would actually cost to feed a family of six or seven, which is quite significant (Bambara 567). What do you think about the justification and systemic racism that goes into justifying these standards?