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
On Monday, students bombard Maleeka, asking her what happened to her hair. By third period, they start to make fun of her for it. By fourth period, she wears a baseball cap she brought from home. Desda tells Maleeka not to let the others get to her, but Maleeka goes to the bathroom and starts crying. She tells herself that someone will always say something negative, no matter how she looks. She knows she looks good, but seeing herself in the bathroom mirror is different from seeing herself at Ronnie’s salon.
Looking at herself in the bathroom, Maleeka experiences a turning point. As students continue to bully her over a hairstyle that she felt confident about the previous day, she recognizes that she can’t rely on others to affirm her, because kids can always find something negative to say.
Themes
Maleeka thinks of her dad, who used to say that she had to see herself with her own eyes. Maleeka pulls out the plastic mirror her father gave her and looks at herself. She blows her nose, splashes some water on her face, and puts on a little lip gloss. Then, Maleeka stuffs her baseball cap in her bag and walks out of the bathroom.
