¶ … Toni Cade Bambara's short story "The Lesson," a newcomer to the neighborhood named Miss Moore, a woman obviously better off than the rest of the families in the neighborhood, takes children on a field trip into midtown Manhattan, where they visit FAO Schwarz and gradually realize that some people have a great deal more money than they do. Miss Moore is trying to teach the children to make sure they understand that wealth is not evenly divided but that they can have more if they work for it. The incidents in the story, narrated by an unnamed child, show that the narrator's best friend, Sugar, has begun to learn the lesson Miss Moore had to offer them, but the unnamed narrator may not have.
The lesson in economy is emphasized by the name of the teacher, Miss "Moore." She dresses better than others in the neighborhood, and has money to spend on luxuries such as taxis. She asks the children what they know about money before they leave, and the children's understanding is at a day-to-day level: do they have enough money for what they need that day? The narrator resents the question, saying, "And Miss Moore asking us do we know what money is like we a bunch of retards." However, on the way home she realizes she could never spend $35 for a toy, knowing her mother would say "You wanna who that costs what?" Meanwhile, the child has seen a toy sailboat that costs one thousand dollars, a fortune to her.
By the end of the story, Sugar can explain the lesson: "I think... that this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don't it?" The narrator has noted the differences but also has pocketed some of Miss Moore's money. She only says to Sugar, "Well, we got four dollars anyway." Sugar has gotten the larger picture. It remains to be seen whether the narrator will get it or not.
