The short story by Toni Cade Bambara, The Lesson centered on one underprivileged girl, Sylvia demonstrated the real-life disadvantage of being a young black woman in a predominantly white upper class city society. Sylvia, at about ten years old has lived her short and sheltered life in a ghetto in New York City with that against her she is also a minority. Due to this shortcoming she is angry, shameful and disillusioned to society. .
Anger is a natural reaction to the injustice many African-Americans have endured. Nevertheless, Sylvia seems to be chock-full of antagonism to adults, wealthy children and in essence, humanity. Sylvia shows her rage in many ways. "And quite naturally we laughed at her And we kinda hated her too [She} was always planning these boring-ass things for us to do." In describing Miss Moore, Sylvia reveals her own toughness, which she communicates largely through strong language ("sorry-ass horse," "goddamn gas mask," "same old dumb shit foolishness"). As well as her own pride and sense of superiority, the end of Miss Moore's lesson critically damages both. Once inside FAO Schwartz Sylvia's painful feelings become intense: "Then Sugar run a finger over the whole boat. And I"m jealous and want to hit her. Maybe not her, but I sure want to punch somebody in the mouth." Angry not only at her own deprivation but also at Miss Moore for making her aware of it, Sylvia bitterly lashes out at the older woman asking why she had to bring them there.
Underneath this brash, poker-faced girl, there is a girl that is ashamed at that fact that she and her family have no money, yet so many others do. A $300 microscope, a $480 paperweight and a $1,195 toy sailboat flare Sylvia's feelings of uneasiness and shame of being poor. Astonished at the exceedingly posh toys Sylvia says, "Unbelievable, I hear myself say and am really stunned." Sylvia is slowly becoming conscious of the injustice of things in general, but more specifically at being unable to purchase and possess even one of the toys displayed tantalizing before her.
