The Storm We Made: A Novel

The color of one’s skin is a motif that symbolizes the unfair treatment of Malayans under colonial rule. It shows the similarities between the British and the Japanese, even if the Japanese present themselves as an alternative that rejects Western ideals and standards. The first time the concept of skin color is invoked is in Chapter 2, which describes Cecily’s Eurasian heritage. Even if Cecily possesses some inherited white features, the Europeans still view her as an uncivilized member of Malayan society.

Skin color is brought up again when Abel is introduced. Among his family members, Abel has the fairest skin color. This makes him stand out among his peers at the labor camp, causing him to be an easy target for Japanese harassment. The novel explains that the reason for this aggression is that the Japanese see Abel as a representative of the white enemy they have come to expel. At one point, the camp supervisor, Master Akiro, makes a show of this by wounding Abel and comparing his blood with that of another boy whose skin his darker than Abel’s. He shows that both boys bleed the same color, suggesting that they are both equally despicable. Ironically, this shows how Malayans are poorly treated by both of their colonizers in the novel, either being seen as too Asian or too white to fit with the rest of the group. Freddie emphasizes this attitude when he arrives at the camp. Because his skin is lighter in color than Abel’s, he becomes the new favorite target for harassment.

Finally, when Mrs. Yap reinvents herself as Lina, she tries to reintegrate herself into high society by imitating the appearance of European women. Her skin is described as so pale that it matches the color of her dress, making her appear nude. This contrasts against her flamboyant appearance as Mrs. Yap, which Cecily saw as irritating and undesirable. To make herself more appealing to Europeans, Lina literally tries to pass herself off as one of them.