Thoughts on Bambara's "The Lesson"

Miss Moore is a teacher who is trying to provoke more from her students. She is an educated black woman who has a heart for children and passing on her knowledge in a interesting way. She allows the children to be in atmospheres that they aren't used to being in. This can be seen from the "shame" that one feels about walking into the expensive store. She also allows them to self discover the disparity between the way they live and the others that can afford the toys in the store. It seems that she wants them to want more out of life, even to the point in believing that they can be in a more prosperous position than they are now occupying. The children seem to strongly dislike Ms. Moore due to her being different than them, possibly an unconscious response from her well educated background. But a more reasonable reason would be that the students don't want to admit that obvious gap, which she is focusing on, between the way they live and those, "White folks crazy.".

One of the students feels something weird going on in her chest. It is this hated realization of their poverty, but she runs away instead of facing it. I'm sure that Ms. Moore isn't giving up just yet, but has sorrowfully experienced some of the children's lack of interest and or acceptance. On the other hand, celebrated a break through with one of the children.