The diverse and powerful socioeconomic topic can be explored to develop the characters and overall theme of a story. Two literary stories in particular, “The Lesson” by Toni Bambara and “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Heker, used socioeconomic status to create a second theme of self-discovery. The main characters in each of these two stories are young girls who eventually discover their adult selves. Low socioeconomic status was part of each character's character development in "The Lesson" and "The Stolen Party," which ultimately forced them to embark on a path of self-discovery. Good BeginningIn both of these literary works, the low socioeconomic status of the main characters is made well known to the reader from the beginning. This status is no small detail to know about girls; rather it is an essential part of it. Knowing that these girls are not financially well off is the most important development in their character and the overall message the stories send. In sociology there is a term called master status, which means “a status that has exceptional importance for social identity, often shaping a person's entire life” (Marshall). In the case of these two stories, low socioeconomic statuses serve as the primary statuses for girls; more important than their gender, or their role as daughters or students. “The Lesson” is told from the first-person point of view of a young African-American girl named Sylvia who lives in the ghettos of New York City. He tells the story of a day spent with his friends and Miss Moore. His low economic status is made evident by the way he speaks; It's not "right". An example of his improper speech is: "no one will beat me at anything." This discourse continues throughout the story as she describes what… middle of paper… unfortunately, instead, she is handed some money and is thanked for her help. This is self-discovery for Rosaura, as she is shocked and her innocence is stolen. She is completely heartbroken to find out that her mother was right. At first his mother said, “Do you know what you are to them? The maid's daughter, that's what. Rosaura discovers her economic situation and how important it really is to other people. She also discovers her adult self as she is thrown into this harsh realization. Works Cited Bambara, T. (1972). The lesson. Retrieved from http://cai.ucdavis.edu/gender/thelesson.htmlHeker, L. (1994). The stolen party. Chicago: Coach House Press. Retrieved from http://www.schurzhs.org/ourpages/auto/2011/9/30/51370050/The Stolen Party.pdfMarshall, Gordon ed., A Dictionary of Sociology (2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998 ), P. 399-400.