Class Distinction is a major theme. Many refuse to believe that there is a class system in America, and yet three stories in the collection Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters deal with upper class, middle class, and lower class people. Each of the three families is similar in that they are called family. The ways in which they differ are myriad. The Shepherd family is made up of the Old Man, Mother, the narrator, and Randy, the kid brother. They subsist on meatloaf, canned corn, red cabbage, and mashed potatoes. Their life is adequate. There is enough in their budget for them to own a used car, albeit they are the fourth or fifth owner, but they do have a car. The Old Man bowls every Wednesday night and sometimes on Friday night. They usually have turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Easter. The Old Man works as a salesman for about six days a week. For the reader, they seem to be solid, middle class citizens.