The Stolen Party, Essay Example

The stolen party is a narrative written by Liliana Heker representing the differences in social class status. The story is about a young girl whose significant experience and participation in the party were stolen. Rosaura’s mother works for a wealthy family which throws a birthday party for their daughter Luciana (Diaz, 183). Rosaura intended to attend the party and was excited because she believed that she had developed a friendship with Luciana over time and thus was invited to participate. Her mother is firmly against attending the party because she believes it only belongs to the rich. However, later in the narrative, Rosaura attends the party, where she helps serve snacks as Luciana’s mother asks her. At the end of the party, all children are given gifts, and Rosaura expects to receive the same. Heker finalizes the narrative by expressing Rosaura’s disappointment after being given money instead of gifts indicating that she was treated as more of a helper than part of the kids at the birthday party.

Heker uses the monkey as symbolism in the stolen party narrative. The monkey belonged to the magician who used it to perform various magic tricks purposely for party entertainment (Santillano, 100). The monkey symbolizes Rosaura’s disregard for the reality regarding the difference in social class since she believed that she would fit in and be treated equally and fairly. The monkey has been brought to the party and locked up in the cage because it belongs to the magician and is expected to accomplish every assigned task. However, Rosaura and the monkey both serve similar purposes because they are used to perform tasks. The monkey and Rosaura both have an innocence that is exploited since they have no importance in the party apart from being helpful to their masters. Luciana’s mum uses Rosaura as a servant, which she proves at the end of the story when she is given money for her services.

In conclusion, the stolen party reflects how a young girl’s dream of an excellent party is stolen after realizing she was treated as a servant. Rosaura was invited to the party because the host knew she would help complete various tasks. The narrative signifies a huge boundary between social classes, and equality is not a common factor. Despite being responsible and trying to fit in the high-class status, Luciana’s mum needed to remind the young girl of her position (Diaz, 184). It was a difficult realization for an innocent young girl who intended to have fun and be given gifts as rewards. Furthermore, Rosaura’s mother initially warned her about attending the party because she understood the social class differences.

Works Cited

Díaz, Gwendolyn. “8. Liliana Heker.” Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2021. 183-212. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7560/716483/html

Santillano, Jimena. “No One Sees Me: Representation of Latinas in Literature.” English Journal 109.6 (2020): 100-102. https://www.proquest.com/openview/6f0f91c2b3600756d3e0f0e81177db84/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=42045