“The Color of Walls” Deconstructionist critique

In Thomas King’s short story The Color of Walls, the protagonist, Harper Stevenson, was passionate about having his office walls painted white. He refused to accept the council of his secretary and professional painter, who both tried to explain to him why he could not have white walls in his office. As a result, Harper Stevenson decided to take matters into his own hands and paint the walls himself which was met with little success. The short story ends with Stevenson marvelling at how such an insignificant act, like painting walls white, could be such a problem.

            King’s short story is an allegory of Canada’s former Prime Minister, Steven Harper and his ideologies that he instituted while in office. The original brown walls in the office of the short story represent Indigenous Peoples and their culture. King seeks to display Stevenson’s oppressive leadership by displaying his opposition for brown walls through his desire to paint them white (assimilation). Stevenson states, “ White…I asked for white” (King, 2006, pg. 87). Harper Stevenson also appears to indirectly categorize people based on race when he states, “But colors have their place. For instance, black is fine for limousines and evening dresses, while white is the color of choice for wedding dresses and the walls of offices where important business is conducted” (2006, pg. 88). This statement implies that Stevenson is racist by believing government headquarters, where national decisions are made, is no place for people of color. This is portrayed by Stevenson’s statement that the color white belongs in offices.

            King’s short story also reveals the notion of white privilege when Stevenson demands his office to be painted white when he comes back from his extravagant holiday. However, Stevenson “arrived at the office…to find his secretary and a tall black woman in yellow overalls and a blue cap waiting for him (pg. 87).  King displays the advantage of being white through Stevenson’s opportunity to be in a position where he can take time off to relax; whereas, Afua and Stevenson’s secretary cannot. Stevenson’s color of skin also prevents others from presuming what culture and race he is. This is not the case for Afua, who Stevenson assumed is fully black without considering that she could be partially Indigenous and German. This further reveals the reality of white privilege despite the fact that Afua and Stevenson would have similar DNA since both of them have German ancestors.           

  In conclusion, King’s short story seeks to address the oppression and racism, that people of color face, despite Canada being labeled as a “mosaic” country.  The story also showcases how being white in Canada grants special privileges that only comes with being white. King portrays this all through an allegory of the color of walls in an office