Analysis of “The Lesson” “The Lesson,” by Toni Cade Bambara, is a brief narrative story that captures a turnkey moment in a young girl’s life. Sylvia vividly recalls the day she learned a life lesson that was initiated by Miss Moore. The central idea of this story is that actual life experiences are the lessons that make the most impact. Sylvia recollects the day with the mentally of that she would “rather go to …showed first 75 words of 471 total…

…showed last 75 words of 471 total…they seem to continue their lives unaffected. The main conflict in this story, brought on by Miss Moore’s educational field trip to the city, is Sylvia’s own internal struggle. Once in the city Sylvia feels a “shame” on the inside and she begins to question herself on this feeling. Sylvia, at the end of the day, takes time to think about what she had experienced in the city, and makes strong mental adjustment.