“The War Between the Classes” by Gloria D. Miklowitz is an extraordinary book that delves into a high-school class participating in the “Color Game”. This game establishes four social classes, each distinguished by armbands: Blues (the highest and wealthiest), Dark Greens (upper-middle class and moderately well-off), Light Greens (lower-middle class and somewhat impoverished), and Oranges (the lowest class and extremely poor). Additionally, gender plays a role in dividing the classes; Teks (females) are considered superior, while No-Teks (males) are deemed inferior. To oversee the students’ conduct and activities, there exist Color Game “policemen” consisting of older students who have previously played the game. These “policemen” maintain records of both positive and negative behavior, which can result in promotions or demotions within the game.
The Color Game operates in the following manner: No-Teks, or individuals of lower social classes, are required to show respect by bowing when making eye contact with Teks, individuals of higher social classes. Teks have the authority to give commands to No-Teks. No-Teks are not permitted to initiate conversations with Teks and are only allowed to respond with brief answers when spoken to. You must always carry your armband and journal with you.
The focal character of this book is Emiko “Amy” Sumoto, hailing from a Japanese family, whose parents have expectations for her to continue the family legacy through marriage to a Japanese boy. However, she becomes captivated by an affluent Caucasian boy named Adam, who stands in stark contrast to her own background. Within the Color Game, the teacher orchestrates a scenario where all the Latinos in class materialize as high colors, while privileged whites assume lower colors. Despite Amy being accustomed to the mistreatment she endures along with her fellow Latino classmates, she feels uneasy about the power she wields as one of the most influential individuals in class. Consequently, she resolves to foster unity among the different color ranks. Having been demoted alongside Adam from Blue to Orange, Amy plans to plaster “Unite All Colors” posters throughout the school and create quad-color armbands for all students to wear. Eventually, she triumphs in achieving her objective, uniting the entire school as one entity.
My personal highlight in this book is when Amy and her friend Juan engage in a clandestine venture, sneaking into the school premises at night and plastering posters all over. I particularly enjoy this part as it seems incredibly enjoyable and also represents the sole instance of action in the entire book.
Although most of my friends are currently reading it, I would highly recommend this book to a friend. It serves as an excellent teacher regarding stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Moreover, it provides insight through the perspective of an individual positioned close to the lower rungs of the social ladder, who is also our age. It offers a glimpse into what life might truly entail when we grow older.
The book titled “The War Between the Classes” was written by Gloria D. Miklowitz.
