Jeffrey Wilcox

Mr. Neuburger

English 102-104

Feb. 11, 2011

One Paragraph Essay

Learning from The Lesson

The Lesson, written by Toni Cade Bambara is a wonderful short story about a group of

inner-city children being mentored by a lady, Miss Moore, who had grown up like they did yet

was able to attend and graduate college. Throughout the story the children are constantly asked

by Miss Moore to think outside their racial or economic status and ponder what it would be like

to have more money, and that an education can help with achieving that goal. Miss Moore’s view

of the children is as if she was their guardian, even though she was not related to any of them.

She was always teaching them new lessons about life, hoping that the lessons that she teaches

will inspire them to one day continue their education and grow beyond where they are now.

Bambara states in the story, “She’d been to college and it was only right that she should take

responsibility for the young ones’ education, and she not even related by marriage or blood.”

(Bambara 8) Miss Moore knew that her actions might encourage these children reach for their

dreams instead of being complacent in the economic norms they are growing up in. This story

provides a great example of how one needs to try and help with the upbringing of children.

Cade Bambara, Yoni. “The Lesson.” Power of Language; Language of Power. Comp.

New York: Pearson Publishing Company, 2009. Print.

Word count 222