An essay about ”This is My Living Room”

How much does it take before a man gets enough, enough of turning all of his surroundings into something bad? The narrator gives us an introduction to his life and he expresses life’s negative aspects through this short story. The theme of the story could be “Every man for himself” or “Every man is his own fortune”. These themes are reflected in the text as the narrator says: “People are as mean one place as they are another and they’re always out to get you”.
Subsection “People”.
“This is My Living Room” is a short story and it’s written by Tom McAfee in 1966.
The story takes place in Pine Springs, Minnesota, in a neighborhood characterized by hostility and unreliability. But it highlights as well a family where old traditions are a part of the everyday life.
This is reflected in the text when the narrator expresses his opinion about women and their rights. “Women are easier to handle. About the worst they can do is talk and what does that matter”. Subsection “People”.
The narrator introduces himself as a smart man and a man that doesn’t believe in anyone but himself. He’s a man in late forties and between the lines; we can perceive him as a male chauvinist. There are likewise examples which describe him as a racist. “Niggers are better than anybody because you can handle them. They don’t hardly ever give you any trouble.” Subsection “People”
His two girls Ellen Jean and Martha Kay are sixteen and fourteen years old. They are both described as “sassy” and “born liars". And the narrator expresses, through the short story, the mistrust he has for his daughters. He took Ellen Jean out of high school, because she started wearing makeup and she went out with boys. Now she works at his store. Martha Kay is like their mother Rosie, because she cries all the time. About Rosie he says: “Rosie ain’t exactly good-looking.