What is the main conflict in My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber?

James Thurber's My Life and Hard Times consists of nine vignettes that stand out in the memory of his youth. They center around a grandfather whose mind and temper flash back to fighting in the American Civil War, a jittery mother and father somewhat at odds over the state of the household, a docile older brother Herman, a normally "quiet and self-contained" younger brother, Roy, who periodically feels the need to play pranks, and the author, whose weak eyes never miss the vivid details of life.