Themes

Prejudice

One of the themes explored by Tom McAfee in the short story “This is My Living Room” is the theme of prejudice. The theme is illustrated by the narrator and by the way he relates to those around him.

First, the narrator is prejudiced against black people, whom he considers “low class” (p. 137, l. 18). His racism is shown when he expresses his wish to see fewer black people living in his town (p. 137, ll. 32-34). The incident with Old Ezmo also shows the narrator’s racism, as he threatens Ezmo and later does not hesitate to shoot him.

Then, the narrator is prejudiced against women. When his oldest daughter starts wearing makeup, he takes her out of school and assumes she will become a “Birmingham whore” (p. 134, l. 27). The narrator also sus...