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Essay / A theme of classism in The Stolen Party by Liliana Heker
We live in a world where how much you earn will determine your place in society. The short story “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Heker provides a perfect example of this important question. The main theme of this story is classism. More specifically, classism is very ingrained in society and it is difficult to eradicate. Classism refers to when people are treated differently because of their perceived social class. This is important in today's society because, in some ways, classism is comparable to behaviors and attitudes expressing sexism and racism towards someone which are all still relevant today. Either by excluding a lower class person from everything, making them feel like they have no power or voice, or by stereotyping them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay A generalization and stereotype about poor people is that they are lazy. Individuals belonging to the lowest strata of society and social class are considered deviants who refuse to work hard and rise from the bottom of the pyramid. Yet these individuals are the ones who typically work the hardest, but are looked down upon because they are of this lower class. In the short story, this is surely only false since Rosaura is working hard for Luciana's birthday party. This way of thinking is similar to other forms of prejudice and oppression that have existed for a long time and are difficult to eradicate. Additionally, less fortunate people feel like they have no power, or at least that's what people from the upper classes make them think. By handing Rosaura the dollar bill, Senora Ines made her believe that she was inferior and made her understand that she was just a servant. People from a higher class often are prejudiced or discriminate against those who are less fortunate, even without saying a word. By making the less fortunate feel inferior, the wealthy believe they have more control and power over them. Classism allows for the preconceived notion that an individual belonging to the upper class is more intelligent and eloquent than an individual belonging to the lower class. This allows them to believe that they can dictate orders to those who are poor and judge whether behavior is acceptable. Finally, those at the upper end of the social scale often exclude individuals from lower classes altogether. They do this as if they feel that the poor are not the same type of people as they are. In the story, Luciana's cousin didn't like Rosaura associating with them and the other children simply because she was the employee's daughter. The wealthy often do not like to associate with or even recognize those less fortunate because they wish to strengthen the dominant class group. Even if their beliefs and ideas are the same, the rich would think less about individuals who are less likely to create a separation and distinguish the two by creating the categories of poor and rich. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Throughout history, people have often looked at the ranks of individuals based on their economic status, education level, family lineage, and professional status. Classism remains an important issue and a big problem within society that needs to be eradicated. Social class is not easy to overcome since..