The Westing Game

The Westing Game

How did the author deal with ethnicity, disabilities, social class and equality in The Westing Game?

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Last updated by Aslan
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This is only a short answer space. I can deal with social class. In a book where so much of the plot revolves around money, the characters are often defined by who can and who cannot afford things. The obstacle for multiple characters between achieving and not achieving their goals depends on the money from the Westing game. Characters like Angela and Theo both want to pursue their education but cannot (Angela can't because of her parents' financial issues, and Theo can't because of his brother's disease). The constraints of their class keep them from following their dreams, but the game provides an opportunity to overcome that.

J.J. Ford overcomes her class as the daughter of one of Sam Westing's staff mostly on her own, but it is revealed that Sam Westing gave her a loan in order to go to school. This generosity enables her to go on and rise up to become a judge and rise to a new class. To Sam Westing, money should be a motivator to empower the players of the game to better their lives themselves, rather than something to live off of.