Racial Bias

This theme is introduced as a conflict among the four main characters in Chapter 7 when the Washingtons arrive at the vacation house and Amanda does not believe they are the homeowners because of her racial prejudice. Looking at G.H. and Ruth, Amanda thinks, “This didn't seem to her like the sort of house where black people lived” (38). By this, she presumably means that it seems unlikely to her that a black couple could afford a nice house on Long Island. Even when presented with proof in the form of G.H. referring to conversations they had over email and producing his own key to a cabinet in the kitchen, Amanda is still convinced they must be lying. “What if he's the handyman? What if she's the maid? What if this is just a scam...” (51), she asks Clay. It is easier for her to believe...