A summary of The Color of Love by Danzy Senna (summarize) - Essay Example

The Color of Love The color of Love is a story told from the Danzy Senna’s perspective. The story revolves around the relationship between Danzy and her grandmother. The story is told in the first person as Danzy’s personal. It is a wonderful read which raises many questions in the minds of the readers making it quite an engaging and a thought-provoking read.In the story, ‘The Color of Love’, the focus is on the writer Danzy Senna who tells the story of her relationship with her grandmother.

Her grandmother was from Ireland and like Danzy, she was also a writer. She had a daughter born out of union between her and her American husband, who was a lawyer, belonging to elite Protestant class. This was one of the reasons for her sense of superiority over others. Her daughter however did not follow her example and fell in love with a black man, much to her mother’s discontent. Her daughter had three children from this marriage, two sons and one daughter. The daughter was Danzy Senna.

This was the bone of contention between the grandmother and Danzy’s mother because she wanted her daughter to marry a white guy just like she had. Therefore despite having black grandchildren, she had deep seated racism planter in her heart. Danzy wanted to have a loving relationship with her grandmother however their differences never really gave her a chance to love her. Danzy’s grandmother was also a regular drinker which is why she never really refrained from venting out her feelings.

She was always very blunt which is evident from the incident that took place on the night when she asked Danzy, “Do you have a man?” and then added “What is he?”, implying that she was interested to know his race. Their relationship took a turn when the grandmother was chiding the cleaning lady. This incident gives Danzy a chance to express her true feelings towards her grandmother’s attitude. That day, Danzy came out of her reverie and strictly told her grandmother that she would not tolerate her talking to the cleaning lady like that and also reminded her about the abolishment of slavery.

This incident further increases the grandmother’s already deep-rooted hatred for other races. However for Danzy, the event allowed her to think of herself as an equal of any other race or position. However it was like Danzy had learnt to live with her and after this incident she started to visit her grandmother more frequently. Their relationship had become one of tolerance and this continued until her death. Danzy, her mother, as well as her aunts, all were there until the end.The story ends on a gloomy note; the death of Danzy’s grandmother.

The story is not just a personal account of the author but a very enriching narration on a very important topic. This shows how negative feelings and instincts like racism can have a deep and long seated impact on familial bonds and relationships. Works CitedSenna, Danzy. "The Color of Love." Bachmann, Susan and Melinda Barth. Between Worlds: A Reader Rhetoric and Handbook. Longman , 2009.