Color of Water - 972 Words

The Color of Water: A Black Man s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride Discussion questions Discuss Ruth McBride s refusal to reveal her past and how that influenced her children s sense of themselves and their place in the world. Why was she reluctant to tell her children about her background? How has your knowledge—or lack thereof—about your family background shaped your own self-image? Do you get a sense of life under the old Jewish traditions? How does that compare to the Chinese way of life in Girl in Translation? As a child and teenager Rachel (Ruth’s Jewish name) is intensely lonely, but she does connect with one friend in high school. How does that relationship influence her? Why did Rachel feel she had†¦show more content†¦Would the world be better off if everyone was the same? Is it a benefit or burden to be mixed race? What factors might help break racial barriers? What exacerbates them? Do you think there will ever be a time that is colorblind? Is such a thing desirable? Have you ever felt like a minority? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this status? Do you think it would be possible to achieve what Ruth McBride Jordan achieved in today s society? About the author Born in 1957, James McBride is a journalist and musician. In addition to his bestselling memoir The Color of Water, he has published the novel Miracle at St. Anna (2002) drawing on the history of the overwhelmingly African American 92nd Infantry Division in the Italian campaign of World War II from mid-1944 to April 1945. The book was adapted into a movie of the same name, directed by Spike Lee (2008). In 2005, he published the first volume of The Process, a CD-based documentary about life as lived by low-profile jazz musicians. His novel Song Yet Sung features the notorious criminal Patty Cannon as a villain in his novel. He is currently a Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at New York University. He plays tenor saxophone with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock band made up of writers including Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Stephen King, Dave Barry, and Ridley Pearson, and has written songs for Anita Baker, Grover WashingtonShow MoreRelatedThe Color of Water1735 Words   |  7 PagesSome children have difficulties accepting their race. In â€Å"The Color of Water† written by James McBride covers the story of a biracial man that is trying to find out more about his white mother. Throughout the book James McBride discusses how racism and acceptance from people can be difficult. In the text â€Å"The Color of Water†, racial tensions has had an effect on James mother Ruth’s along with James and other individuals who have dealt with being biracial while looking to being accepted in theirRead MoreThe Color Of Water And Night1378 Words   |  6 Pages In Race and Ethnicity Class we read two books. We read The Color of Water and Night. I really liked both books. They are informative on two different races. They are interesting and emotional. Color of Water is about a black Jewish man (James) and his relationship with his white Jewish mother (Ruth). In the story the man did not realize growing up that he and his mother are different races. He is mix, both black and white, and his mother is white. This causes him to spend much of his life questioningRead MoreThe Color Of Water Summary1108 Words   |  5 Pages In the book â€Å"The Color of Water† by James McBride, Chapter 5 mainly focuses on Ruth’s father (Tateh) and his connection towards his family. In this chapter the author creates how her father only cared about money, his business, and being an American, it also develops the ways he treated his family by treating his wife badly, sexually abusing Ruth, and demanding the kids to work at his shop. The whole chapter comes together to realize Ruth’s fathers true characteristics of being greedy, unlovingRead MoreEssay on The Color of Water1893 Words   |  8 PagesAt 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 k ind in nature. She also goes on to talk about how her family was originally from Poland but decided to move to the UnitedRead MoreThe Color Of Water By James Mcbride Essay1250 Words   |  5 Pagesread the book, The Color of Water by James McBride. I learned several things about what life was like in the mid-1900’s and in which may be why we still face issues with racial differences. McBride does a great job of illustrating his internal and external challenges that he faces throughout his life. I also learned more about African American culture in the United States and gave me a desire to be a part of positive change to this particular racial group. The Color of Water, written by James McBrideRead MoreThe Color Of Water By James Mcbride1514 Words   |  7 PagesThe Color of Water Comparison Essay When people are treated unfairly or unjustly, how should they perceive it and how do they generally react to this? In The Color of Water by James McBride, prejudice shapes James and Ruth in many ways, James has different stories than Ruth, due to the fact that he lived in a different time period, which makes his scenario different from Ruth’s. Both faced adversity, and stood up for themselves and defended themselves in many different ways just to make sure thatRead MoreThe Color Of Water By James Mcbride1549 Words   |  7 Pageswas black or white, she replied â€Å"†¦. God’s not black. He’s not white. He’s a spirit†. â€Å" What color is God’s spirit†? â€Å"It doesn t have a color, she said. God is the color of water. Water doesn t have a color† (pg. 50-51). It means that a persons race or religion shouldn t be a deciding factor on the way a person is viewed. Water has not set color. It is clear. We should all be seen a s the color of water which could possibly bring peace to our fellow citizens. It could even wash away other problemsRead MoreThe Color of Water Essay examples843 Words   |  4 PagesSara Knigge The Color of Water Essay Racial Identity The Color of Water by James McBride was a story about a young boy trying to figure out his racial identity but his mother would not talk about her past or what race she was. All James knew was that she was white living in a black power neighborhood and that fact terrified him. He thought that to grow up he had to know his racial identity but through all the trouble and hard times he went through he learned that his race did not matter. ItRead MoreThe Color of Water Thematic Essay1142 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Color of Water, author James McBride writes both his autobiography and a tribute to the life of his mother, Ruth McBride. In the memoirs of the author’s mother and of himself, they constantly face discrimination from their race in certain neighborhoods and of their religious beliefs. The trials and tribulations faced by these two characters have taught readers universally that everyone faces difficulties in life, but they can all be surmounted. Whenever Ruth or James McBride face any formsRead MoreThe Color Of Water By James Mcbride1506 Words   |  7 PagesColor of Water Comparison Essay When people are treated unfairly or unjustly, how should they perceive it and how to they generally react to this? In the Color of Water by James McBride, prejudice shapes James and Ruth in many ways, James has different stories than Ruth, due to the fact that he lived in a different time period, which makes his scenario different from Ruth’s. Both faced adversity, and stood up for themselves and defended themselves in many different ways just to make sure that they