The Lesson Q&A

Miss Moore wants the children to confront their poverty by exposing them to the blatant inequality that exists in their country. She wants to show them the broken economy in which their families struggle to survive yet wealthy people spend ridiculous amounts on impractical baubles.

Sylvia’s initial response is an overwhelming sense of anger, which reaches its zenith as she watches Sugar run a finger over the sailboat. Sylvia wants to hit her or anyone, and this anger eventually simmers down into a thoughtful silence. She spends the return journey to their neighborhood thinking about a toy that she could not afford because the same amount of money was required for so many more important things.

This could be understood through the last section of the short story, wherein Sylvia separates herself from the rest of her class. She does not speak to either her friends or Miss Moore and informs the reader that she wants to be on her own and think the day through. Sylvia doesn’t want anyone to beat her at anything, and the lesson made her realize that her poverty meant that she was losing. She saves the four dollars that she made from Miss Moore’s cab fare instead of spending it away on popcorn, candy, and sodas.