Themes and message

Privilege

The main theme of the short story “The School of Life” by Lauren Keenan deals with being blinded by privilege.

Marcus has grown up in a wealthy family and therefore takes for granted that his father pays for everything while he attends law school. When his father makes him get a job at a plant nursery so Marcus can learn more about where he comes from, Marcus sees this as punishment instead of a learning opportunity. He cannot wait to escape from the job and does not feel guilty when he learns that Rewi was fired so Marcus could take over his job. 

At his new job, Marcus looks down on the other employees and fails to realize that their lives may be just as normal as his. For example, he looks down on them for their clothing or music preferences, showing he jud...