blog




  • Essay / Inequalities in the social class structure in The Stolen Party, a short story by Liliana Heker

    The Stolen Party; Stolen Meaning “The Stolen Party” is unfortunately a story without a happy ending. Just like works such as The Great Gatsby or 1984, the protagonist's lack of definitive victory helps drive the point home. The title of the story only really matters after reading the last three paragraphs, in which Rosaura is paid simply to be a waiter at the party, and receives neither gifts nor recognition for being Luciana's friend. She's simply another maid for Senora Ines - and that's what this invitation was for. She may have had an unforgettable time at this party; She was made a countess, saw the monkey, got the attention of all the boys and girls when she handed out the cake - but in the end it was like none of it mattered. of importance, because his true image in the eyes of Senora Ines had destroyed everything joyful that this party had built in her. The party, in this context, was stolen from Rosaura by the ignorance of Madame Inès. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Senora Ines' behavior is a great example of a person restricted to a perspective that only views people by class. Being in the highest class, she can only see Rosaura for what she is in the most general terms, a poor young servant's daughter. Rosaura is more than that, and reading from her point of view we understand that – but in a very socially stratified society like this, what you are born into is something you simply cannot escape. The lower class can, in a way, coexist with the upper class. However, from Madame Inès' actions, we can infer that ultimately there may be two very different incentives for such a society to operate as such. At the party, Rosaura is practically interrogated by Luciana's friends, asked how she could know Luciana and what exactly her mother does, and only shows respect when she is holding the cake or when her pseudo-employer Senora Ines uses him for more menial work (which Rosaura mistakes for friendly help and rewards for good behavior). Thus, within this society, the poor are only respected when there is a gain for the upper class – which is not uncommon in social stratification. Essentially, the rich do what they must to stay rich, and the poor continually struggle to either just get by or to beat the odds and get ahead. Rosaura does a bit of both, unwittingly serving the rich to keep themselves satisfied and desperately dreaming of becoming the one she's currently serving cake to. Her mother is a hardened and angry woman - and as the story progresses, the reason becomes clearer and clearer. The social class structure is the key point of this play, the theme of which is that you will always be what you started out to be. This is driven by Senora Ines' behavior at the party, the tasks Rosaura completes, the crushing truth in the last three paragraphs, all of it. The story is about a lower class girl who strives to be accepted in the eyes of the upper class, but just when she thinks that's what she's won, it becomes clear that for them she is only a daughter. of a servant, born to follow in her mother's footsteps. This event may have changed Rosarua, forever distorting her perception of her and Luciana's class. She might still believe that Luciana is her friend, she might even want to be.