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Overview
First published in Toni Cade Bambara's debut short-story collection Gorilla, My Love in 1972, “The Lesson” is a short story narrated by Sylvia, a young Black girl growing up in Harlem
. In the story, a highly educated Black woman named Miss Moore moves to Sylvia’s neighborhood and begins to take the local children on trips to teach them about poverty and inequality. “The Lesson” follows the children on a trip to FAO Schwarz, a famous toy store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan that was known for its expensive deluxe toys.Read the full story summary, an in-depth character analysis of Sylvia, and explanations of important quotes from “The Lesson.”
