Skin

The events and characters of “Skin” reflect the societal norms, values, and attitudes in the aftermath of World War II. Through the theme of Dehumanization and Objectification, Roald Dahl dissects the power dynamics of human interaction and the consequences of reducing individuals to mere objects.

Dehumanization is the process by which individuals are deprived of their human qualities and treated as worthless or disposable. Meanwhile, objectification involves treating individuals as mere objects, devoid of agency. Through Drioli’s experiences, Dahl illustrates both processes to highlight social inequality. Due to his poverty and lack of social status, the protagonist is both dehumanized and objectified. The gallery owner’s dismissal of Drioli’s humanity is emphasized when he “look[s] Drioli up and down, slowly like a farmer appraising an old horse” (17). In this appraisal of Drioli’s body, he ponders how much longer the old man has to live. As negotiations continue, the art dealer’s ideas become more outlandish, including surgery to replace Drioli’s skin, which he is unlikely to survive. The art dealer and the hotel owner view the protagonist as a hunter sees a tiger. His value lies in his hide, which can be capitalized on only after he is dead.

The wealthy hotel owner in “Skin” uses the servitude of others as a bartering tool in his attempts to persuade Drioli. He tries to tempt the old man with offers such as “a man who will shave you in the mornings” (18) and a “maid to bring your breakfast” (19). The hotel owner reduces the servants who will provide these services to commodities, dehumanized beyond their labor. Dahl draws attention to how jobs involving service to others are typically physically taxing, thus involving the commodification of the body. For example, after a long day of tattooing in 1913, "Drioli’s eyes were half closed from fatigue, the whites streaked with little connecting lines of red,” and he feels “a small concentration of pain” behind each eyeball (3). This is an extreme form of fatigue unfamiliar to the gallery owner or the hotel owner, who are quick to commodify others.

The historical context of Dahl’s story emphasizes war as a contributing factor to the devaluation of human life. Josie’s death is a reminder of the mass loss of life during World War II. Meanwhile, Drioli’s experience at the hands of wealthy art dealers echoes Nazi Germany’s dehumanization of the Jewish people, and other minorities, to justify their mass murder. Objectification also serves as a commentary on the gender roles within the story. In Drioli’s memories, Josie appears as an object of desire. In persuading Chaim Soutine to tattoo him, Drioli exploits the artist’s sexual interest in Josie by proposing that she should be the tattoo’s subject. Stripped of agency and reduced to a symbol of male aspiration, Josie is further objectified after her death as the subject of the artwork on Drioli’s back. The author highlights how, within a patriarchal society, gender is an additional factor in society’s power dynamics.

Dahl’s exploration of dehumanization and objectification in “Skin” confronts readers with uncomfortable truths about the societal structures that perpetuate injustice. Through Drioli’s thoughts and emotions, the author gives voice to the marginalized and oppressed.