Clothes represent Maleeka’s desire to be accepted by her peers. Clothes are an avenue of self-expression, and they’re also tied to socioeconomic status. Maleeka’s mom usually sews Maleeka’s clothes because she wants to save money—despite the fact that she isn’t very good at sewing. Maleeka is often teased at school for this ill-fitting clothing, and, consequently, clothes are a source of insecurity for Maleeka and something that makes her feel excluded from other students. When Maleeka starts hanging out with Charlese, and Charlese gives her nice clothes to alleviate the bullying she experiences, the other students begin to accept Maleeka more, and the teasing subsides. However, Charlese often uses this agreement to manipulate Maleeka, withholding the clothes when Maleeka doesn’t act the way Charlese wants. Maleeka is so desperate for acceptance—and hence, the clothing—that she often allows Charlese to insult her and coerce her into doing things she doesn’t want to do, like smoking in the bathroom or taking the fall for kissing another girl’s boyfriend. The clothes thus represent how Maleeka’s desire to be accepted overrides even her morality or other desires in her life.
Maleeka’s insecurity over her clothes and desire to be accepted only cause problems for her. Pressured by Charlese, Raise, and Raina, Maleeka accidentally sets Miss Saunders’s classroom on fire, and the four of them run away. However, Maleeka grabs a bag of clothes that Charlese brought for her and it rips. Trying to pick up the clothes delays her escape, and she is the only one caught for starting the fire. This suggests that the clothes Charlese offers Maleeka—and, by extension, Maleeka’s desperate desire to be accepted—only cause trouble for her.
Clothes Quotes in The Skin I’m In
It’s bad enough that I’m the darkest, worst-dressed thing in school. I’m also the tallest, skinniest thing you ever seen. And people like John-John remind me of it every chance they get. They don’t say nothing about the fact that I’m a math whiz, and can outdo ninth graders when it comes to figuring numbers. Or that I got a good memory and never forget one single, solitary thing I read. They only see what they see, and they don’t seem to like what they see much.
Char says the dress would look perfect if I had some hips and boobs to go with it. Char blows a fat ring of stinking gray smoke in my face. I laugh, like everybody else. You got to go along with Char if you want to get along with her. You can’t be all sensitive. That’s what Char says.
At school, everybody’s staring at me. Even John-John’s doing a double-take. When I walk into class, all eyes is on me. Char’s the only one that’s got something negative to say.
“So your momma finally broke down and bought you some clothes. About time,” she says, as soon as we get to Miss Saunders’s class.
“New clothes, huh?” he says, trying to be smart.
I stop walking and turn to him and ask real smart like, “Why you always picking on me?” I ain’t sure what’s come over me. I guess thinking about Akeelma makes me wonder why people treat others like they’re nothing.
“Chill, Maleeka,” John-John says, strutting down the hall alongside me. He gets quiet, and I hear his big sneakers squeaking every time they hit the floor.
The class gets so quiet, it’s scary. “I was ten years old and brushing her teeth, feeding her oatmeal like a baby. She cried all the time. Last year, she finally came to. Got up one day, went and bought a sewing machine, and started making clothes. Ain’t never sewed nothing before. Just started, day and night, sewing.”
Some kids at the back of the room start to snicker and make smart remarks. Shut up, I’m thinking. Just shut up.
“The more she sewed them clothes, the better she got. She started picking up after herself. Got a job and all. No, ain’t nothing good come from loving somebody so much you can’t live without ‘em,” I say. “No good at all.”
“This ain’t right,” I whisper.
Char grabs hold of my hand, and says, “Do it, or I ain’t never gonna bring you no clothes.”
I shake my head. “No.”
“You protecting Miss Saunders?” Char wants to know. “You protecting that hussy? Why? She don’t like you, neither. All the time making a fool out of you in class. You stupid girl. Do like I say or I’ll do something to mess you up.”
Clothes Symbol Timeline in The Skin I’m In
