Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Skin I’m In, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Bullying and Insecurity
Self-Esteem, Support, and Friendship
Writing and Self-Expression
The Importance of Role Models
Summary
Analysis
Maleeka sneaks back into her house, her knee bleeding. When she gets into her room, the phone rings. Maleeka answers it quickly: it’s Miss Jackson, their neighbor. Maleeka’s mom wakes up and takes the phone, talking to Miss Jackson about going with her to the doctor. Maleeka’s mom tells her to go back to sleep. Maleeka promises God that if He gets her out of this mess, she’ll never do anything bad again.
Maleeka knows she’s going to face severe consequences for vandalizing Miss Saunders’s room, which is why she’s guilty and worried about what she’s done . In contrast to supportive friends like Caleb, Sweets, or even Desda, having a destructive friend like Charlese has only gotten Maleeka in trouble, as Caleb predicted.
Themes
