Midnight Without a Moon

The Oxford Dictionary defines colorism as “prejudice or discrimination against individuals who have a dark skin tone, especially among people of the same ethnic or racial background” (“Colorism.” Oxford English Dictionary). In Midnight Without a Moon, Rose is relentlessly subjected to colorism, primarily perpetrated by her grandmother, Ma Pearl, and her cousin, Queen. The women in Rose’s family, though not all as light at Queen, are all of a medium skin tone with the exception of Rose’s Aunt Ruthie. Rose’s deep complexion is equated with ugliness, and she is frequently told that men will find her undesirable. Rose is very aware that her grandmother associates lightness with beauty and worthiness, and these values translate into every aspect of how she treats her grandchildren. Rose and her brother, Fred Lee, are forced to work in the fields picking cotton with their grandfather, while Queen is allowed to remain at home. Ma Pearl rationalizes that Queen’s light skin must not be subjected to the sun’s rays. Rose must assist with housework when she is not working in the fields, while Queen is allowed to nap or participate in leisure activities. Queen embraces these values and is smug about the privileges that Ma Pearl’s preferential treatment affords her.