Skin

The Great Divide can be harsh and relentless, and a person experiencing extreme poverty can be tempted into the unthinkable to survive. In “Skin,” Roald Dahl examines class and wealth in postwar France, creating a protagonist who is alone, miserable, and destitute. The juxtaposition of the lower and upper classes and poverty and wealth emphasizes the rigid divisions of class, along with Dahl’s use of irony and foreshadowing.

Drioli’s characterization mirrors France’s postwar state. After World War II, the country struggled to repair itself, the economy was devastated, and the divide between social classes became greater. Drioli, cold and hungry, is forced to walk the streets of Paris in a freezing April wind. His situation contrasts with his memories of 1913, before the First World War, when Drioli knew happiness. He had his friendship with Chaim Soutine, his wife, Josie, and steady work with his tattoo business. Even after World War I, Drioli returned from the conflict to a pleasant life. However, in the wake of World War II, he lost everything.