Themes

The main theme of the short story “Gideon” by ZZ Packer is interracial relationships. This theme is explored through motifs like prejudice and globalization.

The message the author tries to convey through this short story is that racial and social prejudices still dominate modern society despite the idea that we live in a globalized, multicultural world. The story also illustrates how people who have similar personalities tend to be attracted to each other as both of them are dreamers who quit when faced with reality; Gideon and the narrator are also attracted by the other’s physical differentness.

Last but not least, the story is also about relationships between people of different social status, as Gideon is a middle-class, educated man, and the narrator is a lower-class, uneducated waitress.

Interracial relationships

The theme of interracial relationships is explored through the narrator and Gideon. Although they are racially different and...