The Color of Water: a Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother

Aristotle once theorized, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” The book, “The Color of Water” describes the lives of James and Ruth McBride and their journeys to find this happiness. Both of these characters, among other characters in the book struggled for the majority of their lives with the issues of race. They felt as if they were caught between two different worlds; the world of blacks and the world of whites. These struggles left all of the characters feeling forlorn. In McBride’s memoir it is made clear that in order to find happiness, the characters must first be able to confront and then overcome the racial divisions that were so prominent in their lives.

Over the past year I had a chance to develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to develop successful paper. Taking English 1010 was a great experience because it prepares students on becoming better writers through college life. Even though this is my second year in college I was unable to take English 1010 the first year, but taking this class truly show me what college professors are looking for when we are ask to write a successful paper. College professors expect every student to be able to evaluate each topic and be descriptive in their essay.

The Outsiders Essay – Describe an interesting theme from a text you have studied. Explain why this theme is interesting.

It is always around, it is impossible to back away from it, but what it is? Racism is a very strong force, it has captivated the world ever since humans existed. It is hard to back away from racism, to avoid it all together. Whether you are black, white, Jewish, Catholic, Irish, etc. you will be discriminated against by a group of people. No one can hide from the hatred, it is just there. The Color of Water shows that no matter where you are or who you are, that you can face racism. Rachel faced it when she was a Jew in an all white, Protestant school. James and his siblings faced racism when they were in an all-Jewish school. In the memoir, The Color of Water, by James McBride, racism is a powerful presence that can severely affect those who are victims of it.

James grew up as a black child living in a black neighborhood with a white mother during one of history’s biggest era’s for civil rights movements. The title “The Color of Water” correlates to the issues about religion and race that occur in the book with major characters such as Ruth and James. The aspects that had the most significant impact on James’ identity is environment because of the racist and segregated times, the poor neighborhood he was raised in and his mother, Ruth.

The Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man depicts the narrator as a liminal character. Beginning with an oblivious knowledge of race as a child, and which racial group he belonged, to his well knowing of “white” and “black” and the ability to pass as both. On the account of liminality, the narrator is presenting himself as an outsider. Because he is both a “white” and “black” male, he does not fit in with either racial group. In the autobiography of an Ex-colored man, James Weldon Johnson uses double consciousness to show the narrators stance as a person that gives up his birthright for the “privilege of whiteness”.

James McBride 's memoir, The Color of Water, demonstrates a man 's search for identity and a sense of self that derives from his multiracial family. His white mother, Ruth 's abusive childhood as a Jew led her to search for acceptance in the African American community, where she made her large family from the two men she marries. James defines his identity by truth of his mother 's pain and exceptionality, through the family she creates and the life she leaves behind. As a boy, James questions his unique family and color through his confusion of issues of race. Later in his life, as an adolescent, his racial perplexity results in James hiding from his emotions, relying only on the anger he felt against the world. It is

James McBride's memoir, The Color of Water, demonstrates a man's search for identity and a sense of self that derives from his multiracial family. His white mother, Ruth's abusive childhood as a Jew led her to search for acceptance in the African American community, where she made her large family from the two men she marries. James defines his identity by truth of his mother's pain and exceptionality, through the family she creates and the life she leaves behind. As a boy, James questions his unique family and color through his confusion of issues of race. Later in his life, as an adolescent, his racial perplexity results in James hiding from his emotions, relying only on the anger he felt against the

At the beginning of The Color of Water, James McBride’s mother Ruth goes on to introduce particular aspects about her upbringing. She mentions how she grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family and begins to describe both her parents. Ruth’s father was a very cold and hard individual who didn’t care too much for his children’s overall well-being, while her mother was very sweet and kind in nature. She also goes on to talk about how her family was originally from Poland but decided to move to the United States from fear of oppression from the Russian government. Along with outside forces that proved to be a problem for Ruth’s family were similarities in oppressive behaviors in their family as well. Since Ruth’s family were Orthodox Jews,

a. Is there some section that clearly lets the reader know what subject the composition is about and what the writer’s purpose is? If so, where does this section begin and end? In this section, can you find an answer to the central question that the text has been written in response to, or can you find an indication of the text’s central argument?

The novel is written in 3rd person omniscient. This outside voice affects the plot by allowing readers to look into the mind of multiple characters, not just one. It allows readers to have an insight that the characters do

    To begin, the reading selection was a great piece for me to help recall all the past knowledge I have on writing. Throughout the years I have taken multiple English and writing courses that have exemplified most of what corresponded with the book. However,

The first question asks if the final project aided me in understanding the content of the novel and what was Suzanne Collins purpose behind the book. This final project helped me understand the book by showing all the themes behind the book. I had a main theme, which was sacrifice. It helped me recognize all the things people in the districts sacrificed to Panem. Suzanne Collins had lots of passion behind writing this novel. I believe that Suzanne Collins wrote this book because she wanted to portray the negative aspects of our world through a book. She wanted to show people what we are becoming if we keep following the path we are on. One of the main negative aspects she wrote this book was our obsession with reality television. Reality tv has became a niche for most Americans. We watch other families or game show competitions instead of living our own life. I think that is the main reason Suzanne Collins wrote this book.

The early 1900’s was a time period, after slavery but not far from racism, where whites and blacks still had their communal differences. This issue was shown from a firsthand view in the nonfiction piece The Color of Water by James McBride, who lives with his single, white, Jewish mother with the rest of his siblings. The book is about how McBride and his family lived during this time because of the external atmosphere and tension of racism. McBride was a mixed child, whose father was a black man, whereas his single mother is a white woman. McBride’s mother, Ruth, experiences many changes as a character throughout her life due to struggles in her life. Changes such as leaving her family, marrying a black man, and living as a strong and independent woman show Ruth’s personality which has evolved throughout her entire life. These changes were shown clearly as Ruth leaves her father’s home.