Part 28 (1/2)
(With the very faintest hesitation). ”Oh, I've never thought much about it--upper middle, I suppose.”
(_Citizen Dreister, age 43, occupation shoe vendor. A slender, mild man, young-looking for his years._)
”Yes, sir. Myra and I have three children of school age. All boys.”
”Could you give me some idea what their education consists of?”
”They learn how to read and write, and how to become good citizens.
They're already starting to learn their trades. The oldest is going into the family business--shoes. The other two are taking apprentices.h.i.+p courses in groceries and retail marketing. That's my wife's family's business. They also learn how to retain status, and how to utilize standard techniques for moving upward. That's about what goes on in the open cla.s.ses.”
”Are there other school cla.s.ses which are not open?”
”Well, naturally there are the closed cla.s.ses. Every child attends them.”
”And what do they learn in the closed cla.s.ses?”
”I don't know. They're closed, as I said.”
”Don't the children ever speak about those cla.s.ses?”
”No. They talk about everything under the sun, but not about that.”
”Haven't you any idea what goes on in the closed cla.s.ses?”
”Sorry, I don't. At a guess--and it's only a guess, mind you--I'd say it's probably something religious. But you'd have to ask a teacher for that.”
”Thank you, sir. And how do you cla.s.sify yourself statuswise?”
”Middle middle cla.s.s. Not much doubt about that.”
(_Citizen Maryjane Morgan, age 51, occupation school-teacher. A tall, bony woman._)
”Yes, sir, I think that just about sums up our curriculum at the Little Beige Schoolhouse.”
”Except for the closed cla.s.ses.”
”I beg your pardon, sir?”
”The closed cla.s.ses. You haven't discussed those.”
”I'm afraid I can't.”
”Why not, Citizen Morgan?”
”Is this a trick question? Everyone knows that teachers aren't allowed in the closed cla.s.ses.”
”Who _is_ allowed in?”