Review of ‘The Lesson’ by Toni Cade Bambara .ThemeThe main theme in ‘The Lesson’ is poverty and wealth. The children live in squeezed apartments. Some sections smell of urine because some residents use these areas to relieve themselves.ProtagonistThe main protagonist is Miss Moore; an educated Black woman who wants the children in the neighborhood to experience education like herself.Point of viewThe story is narrated from Sylvia’s perspective, but not from Miss Moore’s. It is told in the first person.Exposition timeThe story’s setting is Harlem, in an unspecified time frame known only as “Back in the days when everyone was old and stupid or young and foolish, and me and Sugar were the only ones just right.”Initial incidentThe defining occurrence was when Miss Moore moved to the block where the narrator and her family live.Rising ActionRising action occurs when Miss Moore rounds up the narrator and her cohort, Sugar. The narrator says: ‘So this one day Miss Moore rounds us all up at the mailbox and it’s pure dee hot, and she’s knocking herself out about arithmetic.’ClimaxClimax occurs at the store when the narrator, Sugar, and Miss Moore look at the shocking prices of different items.Falling actionIt occurs when the narrator, Sugar, and Miss Moore return to the mailbox where they started their tour and summarize the day’s events.OutcomeThe children realize that some people have so much money that they can spend on stupid toys, whereas others cannot even afford decent meals and housing.ConclusionThe story is all about wealth and poverty. The narrator comes from a disadvantaged family, and Miss More, having been educated, wants the children to get an education so that they can escape poverty.Characteristics of the author’s styleThe author uses an African-American vernacular style to write the story. Some obscene words like ‘bitch’ are typically used to denote African-Americans, an ethnicity to which the narrator belongs.SymbolsThe sailboat at the store is an expensive toy and a symbol of wealth. Some people have so much money that they can spend on such play items. In contrast, the narrator, her family, and her cohorts are symbols of poor black families.IronyIt is ironic that Miss Moore never imagined she could get the children to have a different perspective of life and education, yet she touched Sylvia and Sugar. It is also ironic that Miss Moore cared less about the trip to FAO Schwarz, yet the visit greatly impacted Sylvia and Sugar.Presentation of CharactersSylvia and Sugar are presented as carefree teenagers, whereas Miss Moore is portrayed as a caring woman, who wants the best for their children.FantasySylvia and Sugar fantasize about wealth. After the trip to the store, Sugar says: ‘You know, Miss Moore, I don’t think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs.’Flat charactersMiss Moore can be described as a flat character because she does not change much from the story’s beginning to the conclusion.Round charactersSylvia is a round character because she encounters conflicts and is changed by themStock charactersMiss Moore can also be described as a stock character because even her name seems to derive from her personality. She wants ‘MORE’ for the children, and it is by design rather than coincidence that her name is Miss Moore, and she does not have a first name.Static charactersMiss Moore is also a static character. She does not undergo much change. She insists on helping the children achieve more and does not give up on her goals.Dynamic charactersSylvia and Sugar can be described as dynamic characters because they undergo significant inner and personal transformations throughout the story.