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Chapter 13
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
A few days later, Charlese tells Maleeka that she doesn’t like how Maleeka has been acting lately, so Maleeka ditches her office work to hang out with Charlese, Raina, and Raise. In the hallway, they run into Miss Saunders, who promptly walks Maleeka to the office. As they walk, Maleeka comments on Miss Saunders’s nice clothes. Miss Saunders explains that she had to wear suits for her job at the ad agency.
Miss Saunders continues to act as an important role model in Maleeka’s life. She constantly tries to make sure that Maleeka isn’t getting into more trouble, separating her from Charlese and the twins and trying to give her more responsibility in the office.
Themes
As they walk, Maleeka asks Miss Saunders why she’s at McClenton rather than the Catholic school or the private school nearby. Miss Saunders turns the question around and asks why Maleeka is there, because Miss Saunders knows that Maleeka passed the test for Central Middle School. Maleeka is annoyed that Miss Saunders knows something about her, but she doesn’t know anything about Miss Saunders. Miss Saunders explains that, for a long time, she worked 18-hour days and traveled the country constantly. When she turned 40, she didn’t want to do this anymore. She says it was wearing her down to be so competitive all the time; she likes teaching better.
Miss Saunders already knew about Maleeka’s application to Central Middle School, which provides some background as to why she pushes Maleeka so hard. She knows that Maleeka (and other students) have more potential than they’re letting on, and she chose to be a teacher to help foster that potential and act as a good mentor.
Themes
