The Color of Trouble

“I truly thought if I fell in love with a black man enough to marry him, it would ease the ache of not being with the man I really love. But it hasn’t eased, and I know now that it won’t. I’m meant for one man only, and his name is Jonathan Steele. I don’t care that Jonathan’s skin isn’t black. He’s the right color for me (Davis 272).”

In the end of the book Kari realizes that she has to be true to her heart and forget what society is telling her to do. Her whole life she struggled with emptiness in heart because she did not know how to fill it, however when she found the cure to her pain in turned out to be different then she had expected. When examining Kari’s problem from an outside point of view; a person would say that is simple just stay with Jonathan, but Kari felt by staying with Jonathan then she was betraying her whole race what does a person do in such a predicament. Will I am proud to say that she went with her heart; she did not let color stand in the way with what she wanted. Reading this book I learned a lot because it gave me a better understanding of what an interracial relationship goes thorough, I mean I knew it was going to sometimes be difficult but it nearly did not work out for Kari and Jonathan because of what others thought to be wrong. I feel that they are grown adults and they came make their own decisions. . Kari can to realize that she can not help what the future has in store for her. I am thankful that Jonathan had the patients to teach her all of this or she would have spent her whole wondering what cold have been.


“You told me to open my eyes, why don’t you do the same? For all your good intentions, the world is divided, Jon, into black and white.” Jon stood for a moment looking at her, anger, then sadness, filling his veins. “What do you see when you look at me?” He walked closer to her, ripping the buttons from his shirt as he pulled it off his body. He held his arms out in front of her. What do you see when you look at me, Kari? What do you want me to do?” His eyes fell on a small vase of pens and he reached for one, handing it to her. “Here, Kari, color me black. Will that make you happy, will you be able to love me then? (Davis 212)”

Towards the end of the book the reader finds Jonathan doing everything possible to make Kari understand that color does not matter. When I read this I was so shocked because of Kari’s words I don’t think the world is divided into but I do believe that the world is races towards each other. I was so surprised when Jonathan said. “Here, Kari, color me black. He feels this way because she is so caught up on color and by coloring him maybe they can finally be accepted in society together. Thought out the book Jonathan has been fighting for something that he really desires; that is going to make him happy. When he really expresses his anger and his emotions the reader is able to really understand Davis’ point, which is to forget the outside and look deeper within. Jonathan stands for the hope in the world because he never gave up on what he knew was right. Reading this a part of me was mad at Kari. I was mad a Kari because she gave in, she forgot why she really cared for him. She changed her views of her perfect world because people told her that is was not pure. She let people take over her life. What does it mean to be a happy? When I watch TV all I see are rich people taking about how much money they have and how big there houses are or reality shows. I think for Jonathan happiness is what comes from the heart. His point was that it is impossible to please others and try to make yourself fall in love with someone you have no feelings for meaning that Kari had to really be okay that people were going to judge her no matter what.