One of the central motifs of Class Act is the idea of the other side of life. Drew, Jordan, and Liam each come from a different background and face different struggles in their daily lives due to their race and social status. Drew seems to suffer the most and feels as if he is not acknowledged or understood for who he is. The first chapter illustrates the boys’ lives, with Drew being Black and living with his grandmother in an apartment, Jordan also being Black and living in the inner-city with his parents, and Liam being white and living with his parents (who are never around) in a mansion. Each boy carries baggage, and slowly learns to understand each other’s differences.

When Drew sees how Liam lives, he is astonished and feels affronted. He sees injustice in Liam’s mother not working but living a privileged life, while his grandmother is past retirement age but working two jobs to barely afford their apartment. Liam points out that if their positions were reversed, he would be “accused of being an elitist” (217). The disparities are clear, and the experience causes Drew to distance himself from Liam for several weeks. It is not until Jordan suggests that Liam come visit his house that the boys are able to mend their differences.