Question 5. Color line

[Ashley]

I'm gonna add a question. What are your thoughts on on Davy's view of race relations WITHIN black culture? As one of the critics pointed out, here is a novel largely about race--with no white villain or antagonist.

[Carol]

I didn't get the feeling that it was largely emphasized. One scene talked about being a darker brown, but overall, I don't think that it hugely made or broke the book to me.

[Julie]

I thought that the mention of this in the book was very interesting. Maybe I was more on the lookout for it since it was mentioned in the introduction of the copy I read.

I've seen instances of his observations in modern situations as well. I remember an episode of SuperNanny (a popular show in our house) where the mother of a large African-American family would tease one of her daughters because she was the "darkest."

Davy doesn't appear to buy into this thinking, but he is starkly aware of it, especially when he describes the girl who was obviously using bleach treatments since the color of her neck didn't match her face.

I also loved the rationale he and a friend had of usiing their perceived whiteness to gain access to places they wouldn't have been allowed into had they been darker. They don't want to encourage that behavior, but they do want to go to that establishment.