The conflict is between old and new and the human reaction to everyday change. The main character, Mary, is caught in between the two classes, forcing her to make a decision, a forced opinion that everyone will encounter at some point in their life. Munro’s ironic use of marxism reveals the power of the stymied socioeconomic class. Demonstrated through the confrontation between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie is demonstrated through the communities ideological values, views on prevailing social order