THE LESSON

AHMAD KAMIL BIN SUHAIMI

MUHAMMAD ADI ISKANDAR BIN LAZUARDI

MUHAMMAD FARIS NUR'NUQMAN BIN FAUZI

UMI ELLYSYAH BINTI MOHAMMAD RAFIG

NUR AIN SYAFINA BINTI AHMAD NAZARUDIN

THE CONTENT
AUTHOR'S BIODATA

PLOT

SETTINGS AND POV

CHARACTERS

LITERARY DEVICES

THEMES
1. AUTHOR'S BIODATA
 Toni Cade Bambara. (Formerly known as Miltona Mirkin Cade)

Born on March 25, 1939. (Harlem, New York United States) Brief Introduction
Died on December 9, 1995. (56 years old)

Queens College. (B.A in English Literature / 1954 - 1959)

Education
City College. (Master's Degree / 1964)

Social Activist. (Feminism and Black Awareness)

College Professor. (Afro-American Studies / Theater Arts) Contributions

Film-maker. (The Bombing of Osage Avenue / The Johnson Girls)

 (1972) (1977) (1980)

(2013)

Achievements
2. PLOT
 SUMMARY
The story unfolds by a young girl named Slyvia, a girl who lives and grows in a
rural neighborhood in New York. Her community struggles as they are growing
in a poor environment with a limited opportunity to strive in the community.
Growing up, she and her friends believed that their future was limited to the
life in the neighborhood. However, there is a woman, well-dressed and well-
educated black woman named Miss Moore, who stood out from the others
due to her education background. She often advocates on poverty that
affects their community due to segregation. Her attempt to change the
neighborhood’s mindset is not in favor of many, including Slyvia, Sugar, their
friends, and their parents. It was not until Miss Moore took the kids for a trip
to the rich part of New York that they had finally opened their eyes to the
reality of their background. They realized how it is different to the White
people as they are blessed with fortune and could afford luxury in living as
they could spend their money on something beyond their needs such as
expensive cars, toys etc. Whereas in Sylvia’s community, they could not even
afford to buy the basic necessities which made her realise how unfortunate
the reality of Black people as they have to live in poverty and inequality.
 EXPOSITION
The story begins with the narrator, an older version of
Sylvia reminiscing how narrow-minded her friends,
community, and even herself were back then. She
described the condition of the place she was living and
exposed Miss Moore, who is the main attention of the
story as she was the person who had taught a very
valuable lesson about poverty and inequality to her and
her friends.
RISING ACTION
Sylvia explained how Miss Moore tends to educate her
and the children of the neighborhood on basic education
such as mathematics, social issues and many more. The
children find her lesson boring. The parents were even
gossiping about Miss Moore of her doings. Sylvia often
thought Miss Moore was being offensive and rude as
Miss Moore kept asking basic questions like money to
them as if the neighborhood kids are not intelligent.
 CLIMAX FALLING ACTION
One day, Miss Moore brought the kids on a trip to a rich
neighborhood called FAO Schwarz. When they arrived at the Fifth On the ride back, Sylvia kept thinking about those
Avenue in Manhattan, they were astonished as they had never ridiculous toy prices she saw earlier in the toy
seen people dressed so differently and extravagantly as no one store. After arrival, they returning to the
back home dressed in such a way. At FAO Schwarz, the children mailboxes where they started from.
begin to look through the windows at the toys on display. They
are surprised by the price of the toys as they are expensive.
Being surrounded by the luxuries had made Sylvia and Sugar feel
little and ashamed as they got into the store. After a long
hesitation, Sugar finally reached out to touch a small boat that
cost beyond thousand dollars. This action made Sylvia enraged
thus she asked Miss Moore to take them away from the store.
RESOLUTION CONFLICT
After hearing Ms. Moore's question, Fantasy vs Reality
Sylvia felt something weird in her chest
and decided to walk away from the
Frustration vs Fact
group. Frustratingly, deep in her heart,
she understood the message from Ms.
Moore.
3. SETTINGS AND POV
SETTINGS POV
TIME:
The short story is told from a
Mid 20th Centuries
first-person point of view as
the story was narrated from
PLACE: Slyvia’s perspective
Harlem Neighborhood throughout the story.
New York
Fifth Venue, Manhattan
FAO Schwarz
4. CHARACTERS
 SYLVIA
Narrator and the protagonist of the story
A rebellious child who prides herself on her independence
Competitive and strong-willed
Heavily influenced by her surroundings
Resents Miss Moore for trying to instruct her
Has a good analytical mind and strong emerging sense of
justice
 MISS MOORE

A college-educated woman
Teaches practical math, civics and brotherhood,
science, and politics
She challenges the children to think about what
they see
She also expresses her conviction that the
underprivileged must speak out and seek a fair
portion of America's wealth
 SUGAR

Slyvia’s closest friend and also her cousin

Does make Slyvia feels an elemet of competitive
She is the only child who tells Miss Moore the thing
that she wants to hear
Yet still run off with Slyvia to spent the money left
from the cab
5. LITERARY DEVICES
1. Symbols
The sailboat is used to represent the future that lies
ahead of the children and symbolizes Sylvia's
complicated relationship with wealth. The boat is also a
reminder of the poverty faced by the people in Sylvia's
Harlem neighborhood.

The paperweight symbolizes the importance of

education. With education, the children's lives can be
changed for the better.

Miss Moore is a symbol of the conflict between Black

intellectuals and those who are not formally educated
Black people. Miss Moore is viewed as an outsider due
to the knowledge and education that she has been
given. She desires to help her people but has struggles
to connect with them.
2. Simile
"... she was black as hell,.."
This is an exaggeration of Miss Moore's skin colour from Sylvia.

".. cept for her feet, which were fish-white and spooky."
This is another exaggeration of Miss Moore's physical look by
Sylvia.

".. wasting his peanut-butter and jelly sandwich like the pig he is."
This is a description made by Sylvia regarding one of her
classmates.
6. THEMES
Wealth, Poverty,
and Inequality
In "The Lesson", a group of Black kids travel from their
impoverished Harlem neighborhood to an expensive toy
store with Miss Moore. The children, including Sylvia are
amazed and perplexed by the store's extravagant costs
while also becoming conscious of their own poverty in
contrast to the wealthy adults who can afford to purchase
there.
Education and Anger
In "The Lesson," Miss Moore settles into a depressed
neighborhood in Harlem and starts instructing a group of
local kids on a variety of topics. Sylvia initially takes offence
to Miss Moore's teaching methods since she believes them
to be patronising and annoying. Sylvia says that Miss Moore
uses her college degree as a weapon to dominate people and
make them listen to her, and that Miss Moore is the only
person in the neighborhood with a college degree.
THANK YOU