In the novel, In the Castle of My Skin, the issue of Race is tied into the other prevalent theme of colonialism. European colonists viewed the dark skinned natives as inferior beings, stating that they were wild and dangerous. Black inferiority is prevalent and it motivates white settlers to try and 'help' the natives to better themselves. The entire culture of the black natives was suppressed and a European model was put in place. Those natives who were able to assimilate and work within the European model were considered to be more civil and intelligent (considered 'more white') than those who refused to accept assimilation (considered 'more black'). This is a type of thinking that is still prevalent within the black community. Anyone who attempts to do well in school, for example, is 'playing white'. This is a direct holdover, one has to think, from this colonialism.
