Toni Cade Bambara

Camaraderie of the Riches: A Marxist Reading of “The Lesson” Published in 1972, Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” is a short story that follows a student, Sylvia, her classmates, and teacher in a costly toy shop, F.A.O Schwarz. Within the store, Sylvia’s class reacts in awe to the toys’ prices. By her reaction we learn about conspicuous consumption, commodification, and why people buy expensive items that aren’t much use to them. The reason: to impress others with an item’s sign-exchange value,…

Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson,” illustrates the unequal distribution of wealth in America which causes the protagonist, Sylvia, to lose her innocence and reevaluate the social class spectrum she lives in. Miss Moore, who is the only person with a college degree in the area, wants to teach Sylvia and the other children a life-changing lesson in an outing to a toy store. From the group of children, Sylvia shows she is a naïve and stubborn child who does not value anyone’s opinion.…

Setting analysis of “The Lesson” In Toni Cade Bambara’s story “The Lesson”, readers are introduced to several characters. Most of the characters are children. They live a poor lifestyle and live in a run-down neighborhood. One of the main characters is a small girl named Sylvia. The story opens with Sylvia introducing another character, Miss Moore. Miss Moore is an older black woman with a college degree. She moved to the neighborhood to try and better the lives of the children, and help teach…

A group of researchers at the University of Florida, led by Dr. J. Robert Cade, had to test the drink on the freshman team because the head coach would not let him test it on the varsity squad. At first, it made the researchers themselves really sick. After a couple of tries, the Florida Gators had loved the drink. The Gators…

In Elizabeth Browning’s pleading letter to Napoleon III, Elizabeth uses many rhetorical devices in order to convince the Emperor of France to pardon Hugo. She flatters His Majesty Napoleon III in an attempt to win his goodwill. Second, she uses syntax in order to create an intelligent letter. Finally, she thoroughly explains her purposes to Napoleon. Thus using flattery, syntax, and logos, Browning was able to effectively persuade Napoleon III to pardon Hugo,had of course he sent the letter.…

Analysis of Sula by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison wrote a touching story of two childhood friends who test the bonds of friendship and love. Throughout the story there are many themes that implore the reader to look more in depth at their meanings and consequences. The main theme throughout the book is that of friendship. In the novel we are introduced to two young girls from very different backgrounds, Sula and Nel. These two girls are like two sides of one person; they know each…

According to the myth, Solomon launched himself into the air, “cut across the sky,” and “gone home” (Morrison 303). While Solomon achieved total freedom through flight, his escape scarred the family members he left behind, including twenty-one children and his wife, Ryna, who “fell down on the ground…[and] threw her body all around” in grief (Morrison 303). The story of Solomon’s flight, which serves as the motivating factor behind Milkman’s quest, is also the community member’s primary…

When reading Sula by Toni Morrison some people will see race as the defining feature of the characters. However, when taking a closer look at the text it can be seen that the characters identities are much more complicated than this. It is not simply being black that makes the characters identify as such, but the characters choice in how to view themselves that defines them. This can be seen in the contrasting ways Nel and Sula form identities for themselves. Nel constructs her identity based on…

Struggling to be true to oneself and to be comfortable with who you are has always been a difficult thing for the individuals of humankind to accomplish. Many novels have been written around the relatable theme of finding one’s own identity for centuries. Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon is no exception. In this novel, the main character Macon (Milkman) Dead III had always subconsciously thought that he has no future. Morrison makes it seem that he is doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps of…

In the historical fiction novel Beloved, the author Toni Morrison discusses the struggle that slaves experienced during the civil war. Morrison uses the true account of Margaret Garner to tell the story between nurture and the ultimate safety of her children post escape. Margaret Garner was a slave who, once she had escaped, killed her third child in order to save her from a world of bigotry, racism, and torture. The characters in Beloved are directly affected by the pain they endured as slaves,…