Seeing is Believing
In the short story, "The Lesson," the author, Toni Cade Bambara, uses imagery, diction, and characterization to allow the reader to explore the story through the eyes and emotions of the main character, Sylvia. Imagery, diction, and characterization are the elements that are focused on and help the reader understand what is really happening in the story. Bambara's excellent use of detail when describing people, places, and things, allow the reader to become involved in each event and understand the emotions felt by the characters. In the beginning of the story, Bambara talks about the housing up North. She writes, "Mothers were in a la-de-da apartment up the block having a good ole time." (pg 134) This explains the type of housing that they are living in and that it is just your average housing. In addition, Bambara gives detail about the environment in the first p
You can see the yellow urine stains on the handball walls and imagine the smell in the hallways. "And Flyboy checking out what everyone brought for lunch. " (pg 134 Except for Mercedes, all the children are getting along. Bambara spices the story up and catches the reader's attention when she uses slang in her diction. When the children are saying things like, "I'm really hating this nappy-haired bitch and her goddamn college degree," (pg 134) Bambara has done this. " Finally, the example of Flyboy's quote when they saw the paperweight further proves their lack of education. Bambara does a great job of helping the reader appreciate her story through her use of imagery, diction, and characterization. And Rosie Giraffe shifting from hip to the other waiting for somebody to step on her foot or ask her if she from Georgia so she can kick ass, preferably Mercedes'. And Fat Butt already wasting his peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich like the pig that he is. The reader is able to comprehend what is taking place through the diction of the story. Bambara uses the example of, "Whatcha gonna do with a microscope, fool?" (pg 135) to show how uneducated the children are. When describing Sylvia's feelings for Miss Moore, Bambara's word usage in this story helps the reader identify the mood and vocabulary of the children. Flyboy said, "To weigh paper with, dumbbell. " (pg 134) Through her detailed depiction, anyone can tell how bad the "winos" really are.
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