Irony And Symbolism In The Stolen Party

Pity changes the world. It feeds the hungry, builds schools, water wells, hospitals. But it requires a lot of dedication and work to create in literature. Multiple techniques need to be combined delicately to create such a powerful emotion. But Liliana Heker manages to effectively create pity for the young protagonist of “The Stolen Party” through the use of dramatic irony and symbolism, as well as a depiction of a sudden, devastating transition between childhood and maturity,

The appearance of dramatic irony throughout the piece helps readers start pitying Rosaura. We watch Rosaura progress through the story, unaware of the many hints about her social status in regards to the other party guests, and especially the hosts. We start to feel bad for Rosaura as she goes through the story happily with the idea that everyone was equal in status, how she thought she was “invited because Luciana is [her] friend.” This illusion can be seen in real life, where children are often lied to so that they’re protected from volatile truths. War, terror, and the ugly sides of the world are often concealed until the children have gradually matured by

Readers begin to understand more about Rosaura’s situation and social context through symbolism in the short story. Parallels between Rosaura and the monkey include how Rosaura and the monkey are the only ones allowed in the kitchen, an area where people are expected to work, as well as the complete obliviousness of both Rosaura and the monkey. The use of symbolism compares Rosaura’s mindset to that of a caged monkey used to perform tricks, essentially a “pet.” Rosaura had been used the whole time, just like the monkey. Both were given the illusion that they were “equal” and they worked happily for their boss without even knowing it. This went on until the very end, when Rosaura finally learns the harsh, cruel