The Color of Water

Imagine coming from two very different backgrounds. Imagine not knowing what to believe in or not knowing what color you truly are. James Mcbride went through that exact situation. He was raised by an inspiring white woman. She came from a Polish Jewish family and married an African American man. James was one of twelve children Ruth had. James valued his mother very much and wrote The Color of Water about her struggle with life. Ruth gave James a wonderful life. He became a successful writer and musician. He has been awarded for his jazz/pop music and his memoir, The Color of Water, was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years. His mother’s struggle with her family and the hardships of the loss of her husband has really made a quite moving novel.

Ruth did not have much of a childhood. She came to America at a very young age and was thrown into a land of mixed races. She was very confused of what she believed in and who she was. She began to wonder through the black neighborhoods on her bike. Her father was a very racist rabbi so it became very hard to see his daughter not following his ways. As she grew into an adult, she began to break through and convert to Christianity and marry an African American man. In the beginning of the story she tells her son that she is “dead.” She is “dead” to her family. Her family will not speak to her anymore because of her new ways. She wanted her son to know that because she wanted her children to find their own past. Her whole childhood was revolved around Judaism but once she was separated from her childhood she could follow her own beliefs. She wanted her children to find their own identity and be the one person they were meant to be.James stated a very interesting fact about his mother’s teachings. He states in the memoir,
Mommy's contradictions crashed and slammed against one another like
bumper cars at Coney Island. White folks, she felt were implicitly evil
toward blacks, yet she forced us to go to white schools to get the best
education. Blacks could be trusted more, but anything involving blacks
was probably substandard... She was against welfare and never applied for it despite our need, but championed those who availed themselves of it.
She was trying to teach her children about having a balanced look on race. She gave the truth and she gave both sides of the truth. She never wanted her children to favor one or the other like her father.

Throughout Ruth’s life, her name changes. Her original name was Ruchel Dwajra Zylska. This name was a reminder of her Jewish heritage. When she came to America, she became Rachel Deborah Shilsky. Her parents changed her name because they wanted her to adopt more into American Society. When she left her childhood she wanted to get rid of everything from her past. She changed her name to Ruth Mcbride because it was a fresh start and she married her late husband and moved to New York. When she was pregnant with James, Andrew Dennis McBride died of lung cancer. She had eight children with him. As time went on, she married Hunter Jordan. Her final name became Ruth McBride Jordan. He became the family’s new father and Ruth went on to have four children with him but he sadly died of a stroke. It was as if each name marked the next chapter of her life.

Ruth’s father, Tateh, was the main reason why she left her family. He was a strict father that never loved his family. He kept everything always just business. Ruth has a tough life with him because he was such a hypocrite. Everything had to be run his way and he could do whatever he wanted. Ruth was abused by her father and treated her mother with no respect. He finally left the family for another woman. Ruth’s parenting was a very different story. She was very strict with her children but only because she wanted them to be successful with their lives. She expected the best from her children and nothing less. She let her children choose their paths of success instead of forcing a certain way of living. She loved and cared for her children and her father did not. Ruth and her father are both strict, hard working people. Her father is what made her such a great woman. She has learned from all the hatred and evil spirits and twisted it to make her children great human beings.

James’s quest to figure out his mother’s past gave him a sense of closure and understanding who he truly is. Since James came from two completely different backgrounds, it would be hard to understand what to follow. His mother didn’t reveal her past to James at a young age so her son could follow his heart and not what someone made him. His mother’s past, however, was very important because he never new is father so his mother is all he had left. She wanted him to see that no matter what one believes in or looks like everyone is equal human beings.

The novel’s title revolves around the understanding of race. James reflects on when his mother was telling him what color was God’s spirit. “‘What color is God’s spirit?’ ‘It doesn’t have a color,’ she said. ‘God is the color of water. Water doesn’t have a color.’” (McBride, p. 39) The color of water is a sign of neutral. It shows that what we believe doesn’t have a specific color. It is not any kind of group. Water reflects any kind of light or color around it.

The 1960’s was a time of reform for all the African Americans. It was their time of power and this was the childhood of James. He saw all this power and wanted to be black. He wanted to be apart of this power and leadership. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were at their prime and ready to give African Americans the freedom they need. James felt very powered by these people. His mother being white didn’t stop her from believing Martin Luther or Malcolm X. The events just made James more proud of his background.

The Color of Water was a very moving book. It made me think about what I believe in and the racial issues. If every mother was like Ruth, society would be more just on the racial issues. A lot of people cannot forget about their past and our teaching their children their ways instead of letting them decide their opinions for themselves. I personally loved this book. It taught me many lessons. It helped me understand that everyone is different but we are all equal no matter how our lives carry us.

Lexie Redd