Justice
The singular theme that stands out in all three texts of The Stolen Party, The Garden Party and The Lesson is the negative impact of class distinctions. In Heker's The Stolen Party, we see the painful awakening to the realities of class distinction of young 9-year-old Rosaura who believes that she is completely accepted as a friend of Luciana, the daughter of her mother's employer. It is only when Senora Ines offers her money instead of a leaving present at Luciana's birthday party that she wakes up to reality and receives a blow to her idealism and pride. Heker goes onto make an even more powerful comment on social class distinctions when she concludes her narrative with Senora Ines standing with her hand outstretched and the observation, "...didn't dare draw it back...shatter an infinitely delicate balance." (Heker, 123)
Bambara, too, makes a statement on the negative effects of social boundaries that turn confident and happy children into confused, angry and shamed youth in The Lesson. Money is shown to be a decisive factor in creating social class distinctions in this text as well. Miss Moore's group of financially disadvantaged children hesitate to enter F.A.O. Schwarz once they realize the exorbitant prices of the toys in the window: "...feel funny, shame...got as much right to go in...." (Bambara, 98) Bambara uses her story to conclude that a democracy can only live up to its promise when it bridges the gap created by money.
Mansfield in The Garden Party draws powerfully stark images of the disparate life styles of the rich and the working class: "...very smoke...their chimneys was poverty stricken...unlike the great silvery plumes...." (Mansfield, 128) The difference in background also leads to the Sheridan children being prohibited to fraternize with the underprivileged. However, while the story shares a common theme with The Stolen Party and The Lesson, it differs in one respect. Which is Mansfield chooses to mock the life of the privileged by showing the happiness and peace on the face of a dead working class man, prompting Laura to question the basic meaning to life.
Works Cited
Bambara, Toni Cade. "The Lesson."
Heker, Liliana. "The Stolen Party."
Mansfield, Katherine. "The Garden Party."
