A Different Perspective on Sylvia - "The Lesson" - Toni Cade Bambara
In reading “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara I am instantly reminded of a quote by Galileo: “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself”. “The Lesson” is a perfect example of this in how Bambara uses Miss Moore’s ‘lesson’ to enlighten the seemingly resistant and grudging student Sylvia into a deeper awareness of herself, her plight and ultimately her future. Though on the surface, Sylvia appears to be a highly disinterested and an unwilling participant, on a much deeper level she is ripe for receiving a message that is possibly too profound for the other students. Beneath the façade of the oblivious, aloof and abrasive leader that Sylvia tries vehemently to display, is an extremely aware, critical thinker who is fearful of her own consciousness. She uses her bravado as a defense mechanism to avoid facing what her awareness is relaying to her – her position in the world and her inability to fully live up to the image of herself she tries to portray. ...