Throughout history, literature has revealed truths about the world we live in, allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding about the human condition. Many authors use various literary devices to enhance or reveal the truths about the world. Yuri Herrera’s works, such as his short story “The Objects,” can be described as allegories because they represent the truths in our world. The two main characters in Herrera’s short story are the narrator, and Rafa, who travel through the vestibule turning into pestilent beings. Society is divided into different social classes, lower class, working class, and upper class. Herrera creates characters that reveal the effects that social classes have on individuals in today’s …show more content…
The characters in this story transform into animals that illustrates the character’s social status. In Rafa’s case, he is transformed into a louse, indicating that he is of a lower social class than those on the upper levels of the building. The reader feels Rafa’s frustration with his transformation when the narrator states, “Rafa stares at the vestibule in hatred until those in line protest. Then he goes through and is transformed” (52). Stating that he looks upon the vestibule with hatred indicates that his transformation is not his choice and it being him much discomfort, thus revealing that those in a lower social status are unhappy with their …show more content…
He questions, “What do you think the higher-ups are transformed into?” Rafa asked. “What other thing could they be transformed into?” (53). Rafa’s curiosity raises about the dysfunctional building sending him scurrying up the stairs to find out what could possible be at the top. The author states that Rafa “imagines those who are all the way at the top are transformed into lions or elephant. Or sharks” (53). Stating that he believes the top floor is transformed into lions and elephants indicates that the people on the upper levels are bold, brave carnivores. Reaching the top floor, Rafa comes to find the complete opposite of what he expected. “I opened it and saw no one. Nothing but a sea of objects in silence.” (53) Objects have overtaken the top floor. “From the corner of one eye, saw one of them pushed in from the other side of the vestibule: an armchair or a pane of glass or a hatchet, make no difference.” (53) The author illustrates the top floor as objects being pushed in because all these people have lost their humanities. Lose of all human qualities caught up in there work or the money they receive dehumanizing them giving them no human or animal qualities at all. The objects at the top rely on the lower class to run the building and take care of them. Herrera uses this as an allegory because the higher up or high social status in today's world look