Hopkins is all about having her characters intersect, and in Perfect, one narrator starts dating another narrator's sister. But there are complications: Andre is black, and Kendra and Jenna are white; Andre's family is significantly higher on the socioeconomic ladder than Jenna's; and Andre's parents are married, while Jenna's are divorced.
Of course, this doesn't stop Jenna's super racist dad from throwing a whole bunch of shade Andre's way. And even though Andre's dad is more educated than Jenna's, he gives Andre the side eye when he finds out his son's girlfriend is blonde, which of course means white. Not only do these two have to navigate raging hormones and other issues, then, they also have to handle the prejudice flowing freely from both families. Yay.
Questions About Race
- Does Andre's mom feel any guilt for altering black women's features to make them look whiter?
- Why does Andre's dad mind that he dates white girls? Why does Jenna's dad mind that she dates Andre? Are there similarities? How about differences?
- Does Jenna really like Andre, or is she just using him to get back at her dad?
Chew on This
Jenna's dad is prejudiced, but you could argue that Andre's dad is, too.
Shantell disapproves of Andre dating a white girl. On the one hand, who he dates is none of her business, but on the other, she could view it as a personal insult. Only through the universal language of dance does she grudgingly come to accept him.