To hear her tell the tale, Cassie Lightfoot is the richest gal in New York City. She has everything that money can buy: fancy buildings, a diamond necklace, and a lifetime supply of ice cream.
Wait a second. Scratch that. She doesn't have any money. She only owns the buildings in her imagination. The diamond necklace is just the George Washington Bridge. And maybe worst of all, she doesn't actually have endless ice cream.
There's some tension in the book between what Cassie "owns" when she's playing pretend and what she actually owns. Some of the stuff she dreams about is just silly, like the necklace. But some of the things she thinks about, like a job for her dad, point to things that her family really, really needs in real life.
Questions About Society and Class
- Find two or three clues that tell us about Cassie's family's class.
- How was society different in the 1930s, when the book was set? Find two or three examples in the book.
- How might Cassie's life be different if her dad were allowed to join the union?
Chew on This
If Tar Beach were about a rich family, the story could be similar.
If Tar beach were about a rich family, the story would be totally different.