Summary Of The Skin I M In By Sharon G. Flake

The book, The Skin I’m In, by Sharon G. Flake, shows that the color of your skin should not define you as a person. At times, people think that a color means that you're something that you're not. For example, in the book John-John says “I don’t see no pretty, just a whole lotta black” (Flake 09). John-John thinks Maleeka is ugly because she’s black. He looks at her and because her skin color is so “black” he judges her about it. John-John only looks at her looks but he doesn’t really know the real Maleeka. “Why don’t other people see what I see?” (Flake 39) Maleeka sees herself as a beautiful person, but others don’t, because of her skin color people call her ugly even though they don’t know her as a person. She wants others to look at her the way she does. In society, people judge people by their color without knowing them. Maleeka realizes that no matter what she does people will still judge her.
“I shouldn’t be the only one in trouble and the only one suspended from school.” (Flake 79) Maleeka knows that the right thing to do is tell on Char because she realizes that she shouldn’t be the only one getting in trouble for others actions. She lets Char know that, even though Maleeka knows that she might get called even worse things, she goes through with everything she tells her to do. “Call me by my name” (Flake 129) Maleeka is done with all of the mean things Char has made her do. All she has done is call her names and make her feel bad about herself and not once has Maleeka said anything. She has lost her patience with her and she lets her know that by standing up for herself. Maleeka is starting to realize that standing up for yourself is more valuable than getting walked all over by