The Color of Love
The Color of Love
Gene Cheek
Valerie Charles
The Color of Love is a book about the life of a twelve year old boy - Gene Cheek living in North Carolina in the 1960’s with an alcoholic father and a loving mother. During this time the world was fighting with segregation and Gene would not yet realize the power of hatred and the strength of love. Genes mother had fallen in love with an African-American man which went against the law and was forced to choose between the mixed race baby and Gene. Don’t ever let the world’s judgement go against what you believe and what you feel is right because of the color of someone’s skin.
Throughout the young years of Genes life, he had dealt with a drunk man walking through the front door every night and blaming everything around him for his life problems. On top of this Jesse - Genes father had been a very abusive husband towards Gene and his mom and had no way of controlling his problems. “He needs to be taught a lesson. Let him go!’ ‘No, I won’t. You ain’t goin’ to hit him again. You’ll have to go through me first…’ Those words had barely left her mouth when my father punched her in the face” (Cheek 12). Until I read this book I've never realized how bad things could get for people who aren't as fortunate as others and you never know what goes on behind closed doors. This book was an eye opener for me and hopefully it could be for others. During the 1960s the laws of Jim Crow were set, basically black and white people were not allowed to be together or share with each other. Everything was separated. Genes mom had met the love of her life and didn't even know it because he was a black man and at the same time Gene didn't know wrong from right. “Grandma turned to me and said, honey, please fetch Mr.Tucker a glass of water from the Kitchen. ‘Which glass should I use?’ I just blurted it out, knowing full well before the words had even gotten out to Grandma's ears that i’d messed up” (Cheek 17). From the eyes of a twelve year old little boy he doesnt know right from wrong and doesn’t know if he has said the wrong things, and his father doesn’t help with the situation because he’s a stubborn drunk. “Boy,’ he scolded me, ‘have you lost your damn mind? You don’t drink from no nigger water fountain. Hell, you might catch one of them nigger diseases” (cheek 18). Although Gene was kid, didn't know any better, his father did. This is the type of conflict that Gene had to deal with as a child and the type of hate that was filled into his mind by his father.
Personally I did not get to finish the book but from what I have read so far It is something I plan on finishing and enjoying. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who believes that you should do what’s right and doesn’t care about the world’s view and opinions on what you do.
Gene Cheek
Valerie Charles
The Color of Love is a book about the life of a twelve year old boy - Gene Cheek living in North Carolina in the 1960’s with an alcoholic father and a loving mother. During this time the world was fighting with segregation and Gene would not yet realize the power of hatred and the strength of love. Genes mother had fallen in love with an African-American man which went against the law and was forced to choose between the mixed race baby and Gene. Don’t ever let the world’s judgement go against what you believe and what you feel is right because of the color of someone’s skin.
Throughout the young years of Genes life, he had dealt with a drunk man walking through the front door every night and blaming everything around him for his life problems. On top of this Jesse - Genes father had been a very abusive husband towards Gene and his mom and had no way of controlling his problems. “He needs to be taught a lesson. Let him go!’ ‘No, I won’t. You ain’t goin’ to hit him again. You’ll have to go through me first…’ Those words had barely left her mouth when my father punched her in the face” (Cheek 12). Until I read this book I've never realized how bad things could get for people who aren't as fortunate as others and you never know what goes on behind closed doors. This book was an eye opener for me and hopefully it could be for others. During the 1960s the laws of Jim Crow were set, basically black and white people were not allowed to be together or share with each other. Everything was separated. Genes mom had met the love of her life and didn't even know it because he was a black man and at the same time Gene didn't know wrong from right. “Grandma turned to me and said, honey, please fetch Mr.Tucker a glass of water from the Kitchen. ‘Which glass should I use?’ I just blurted it out, knowing full well before the words had even gotten out to Grandma's ears that i’d messed up” (Cheek 17). From the eyes of a twelve year old little boy he doesnt know right from wrong and doesn’t know if he has said the wrong things, and his father doesn’t help with the situation because he’s a stubborn drunk. “Boy,’ he scolded me, ‘have you lost your damn mind? You don’t drink from no nigger water fountain. Hell, you might catch one of them nigger diseases” (cheek 18). Although Gene was kid, didn't know any better, his father did. This is the type of conflict that Gene had to deal with as a child and the type of hate that was filled into his mind by his father.
Personally I did not get to finish the book but from what I have read so far It is something I plan on finishing and enjoying. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who believes that you should do what’s right and doesn’t care about the world’s view and opinions on what you do.
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