Why is "The Prison" a prison!

The way a prison has a jailer, a cell and punishment, so does Tommy's life in "The Prison" by  Bernard Malamud.

Tommy's life was a"screaming bore". This sentence itself says a lot about the character and his life.
Can you imagine your life which is boring. A life where you have to get up and do the same thing everyday! A life where there is no change - the change that you attempt is not allowed.Tommy - hated his wife, the place he worked, the work he did, the hours he worked. His life had to be a bore!
Why does the author use the word "screaming. Simple because it was so obvious that he was completely fed up of his life!


 It is only "except for an hour off each afternoon when he went upstairs to sleep". That was the relief that he got. This too is reminiscent of a prison where the prisoner is allowed a break for a short while and within the premises!


More coming....................