History Literature / TheSneetchesAndOtherStories

* FantasticRacism: "The Sneetches" is a thinly disguised allegory on racism (or classism). It describes a conflict between two subgroups of the titular Sneetches, a race of bird-like humanoids. One group has stars on their bellies, and thinks themselves superior because of it, while the other group doesn't. The {{Aesop}} comes after a huckster with the unlikely name of "Sylvester [=McMonkey=] [=McBean=]" convinces those without stars to pay him to have stars added to their bodies. Then it's no longer so special, since everyone has stars, but [=McBean=] has a machine to remove them as well, for a modest consideration. The two groups proceed to repeatedly alter who has stars and who doesn't, along with which of the two conditions are more desirable. By the time [=McBean=] packs up his operation and leaves, they don't remember who had stars to begin with and who didn't, and thus abandon their prejudices as worthless.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [=McMonkey=] [=McBean=] swindles the sneetches out of all their money while laughing about the sneetches' gullibility and how they will never learn. Ironically because his money making scheme, the sneetches can't remember who ever had a star in the first place and because they wasted their money obsessing over the stars, they learned how pointless it was to discriminate in the first place and will treat each other equally from now on.

* TemptingFate: A rare positive example. When [=McBean=] is driving off with all of the money he earned from his star machine-gambit, he dismissively laughs to himself that the sneetches will never learn...but the narrator [[LampshadeHanging immediately says that McBean is quite wrong]] and the sneetches have indeed learned how stupid they've been to obsess over those stars and decide to forget about them and treat each other equally from then on.

** ''The Zax'' are so egomaniacal and stubborn that they refuse to step aside for each, listing down trivial reasons they have right of way and eventually sticking at their spot for eons in their refusal to let the other have the last word.

* TallPoppySyndrome: When the plain-bellied Sneetches actually gain stars, the original Star-bellied Sneetches are outraged. With all Sneetches the same, they can't be the "best" Sneetches, so remove their stars and claim plain-bellies superior to maintain the hierarchy. After this process continues over and over however, even the original Star-bellies realise it isn't worth it and accept equality.

* OneSteveLimit: Mrs. [=McCave=] violated the rule of not having more than one character have the same name by naming all of her sons "Dave." She's regretting it by the end of the story.

* MovingTheGoalposts: The plain-bellied Sneetches use [=McMonkey=] [=McBean=]'s machine to gain stars akin to what are considered the top social class. The original star-bellies [[TallPoppySyndrome have no interest in being equals however]], and use the machine to remove their's, [[OpinionFlipFlop deeming plain bellies the top of the chain now]]. The situation reduces to both sides rapidly going in and out of the machine to break or maintain the hierarchy respectively, until eventually even the original star-bellies realise their elitism just isn't worth the hassle.

* HumansThroughAlienEyes: The narrator in "What Was I Scared Of?" keeps running into a ghostly pair of Pale Green Pants which he is terrified of... Until the end, when he discovers that the pants are just as terrified of him. (Luckily, the story has a happy ending, with the two of them coming to terms with the fears and becoming friends.)

* FalseFriend: [=McBean=] is this to ''both'' breed of the sneetches. When he first arrives at the beach, he claims to be there with the intent of helping the plain-bellied sneetches gain equality with a machine that will give them belly stars for a low price. After this, he meets with the original star-bellies, claiming he desires to help them regain the special status with a machine that will ''remove'' their belly stars and distinguish them. ''Then'' he invites the original plain bellies whom he had previously helped to try the star off machine to help them achieve equality (again). From that point on, the original star bellies keep paying [=McBean=] to have their stars put on or removed to be distinguished, only for the original plain bellies to pay [=McBean=] to emulate so that they will be equal. Once both sides have completely run out of money, he abandons them without a second thought.

** "The Sneetches": Racism and classism are heavily intertwined and trying to maintain divisions [[StatusQuoIsGod for its own sake]] will leave you vulnerable to scammers willing to make money off of your prejudices until you're sucked dry.

* KarmaHoudini: Sylvester [=McMonkey=] [=McBean=] gets no comeuppance for fleecing the Sneetches of their money. Granted, his business technically wasn't a scam, just exploitative.

* AwesomeMcCoolName:
** One of the names Mrs. [=McCave=] contemplates for one of her sons is "Zanzibar Buck-Buck [=McFate=]", which sounds pretty cool.
** Sylvester [=McMonkey=] [=McBean=] has a name which fits his fast talking, charismatic, clever nature very well.