The Color of Water

The novel “The Color of Water” by James McBride chronicles both his and his mother’s lives while growing up. James McBride is an award-winning author and a successful musical composer. His only other novel is “Miracle at St. Anna”. McBride was born into the Red Hook Projects in Brooklyn. His mother led a much different life as a Jewish girl growing up before WWII in Poland until she and her family moved to America during her teenage years. “The Color of Water” skips between recounting both he and his mother’s experiences while growing up in times of such tension.

When James first asked his mother about her life, she quickly refuses him. She tells him that if he had asked her father for an interview, he would have dropped dead of a heart attack so as to avoid it. She recounts her family ties and her early life somewhat bitterly, possibly because she grew up in an immigrant family during tense times. Because of her attitude and refusal to reveal her past to her children, they do not quite understand their mother. They know her, and they know her name, but they don’t really know anything about her. However, this is somewhat positive because they do not know that their family is much different from most of the other ones.

During her first interview session with James, Ruth McBride tells him that she is “dead”. She says this because it is quite true in her family’s eyes. They thought her dead the moment that she married a black man in an unarranged and unapproved marriage. This relates to her identity as a person because she has been outcast by her own people and does not associate with them. Because of this, she does not really fit one race or another; she immersed herself in African-American culture but still retains some of her Orthodox Jewish heritage.

Ruth McBride was a woman of many mixed and conflicting views. These contributed to further confusing her children. However, these contradictions also show that she has a balanced view of society. She believes that she is too good to go on welfare but she also “champions” those who do submit to it. She despises white people and believes they are evil to blacks and people who associate with them yet sends her children to a white school to get a good education. It shows that even though she does not like the way her society works, she submits to it where it may benefit her children as long as it does not take away from her pride.

Throughout her life, Ruth changes her name twice. This reflects her alienation from her culture and acceptance of other cultures. She was born Ruchel Dwarja Zylska, but changed her name to Rachel Deborah Shilsky when she first moved to America with her family. This was because they needed to have more American-type names in order to easily fit in with a new culture. Her second name change was much different though. Instead of doing it in order to have an easier life, it was because she wanted to fit in with the African-Americans but still have a normal “white name”.

Ruth and her father ran their household in much the same way: tyrannically. However, Ruth succeeded while her father did not. This was because Ruth showed no weakness to her children and made them believe that nobody is better than anyone else. Her father was very gruff and did not believe in showing any affection, or kindness for that matter, towards his family. Ruth, on the other hand, let her children know that she cherished them and did show some affection towards this. Her children respected her, the same as she respected her father, but her children also loved her, something she did not feel much towards her father. However, she was also much more strict than her father, and because of this her children were afraid to disobey her. They would always listen to her and wouldn’t dare to cross her.

James McBride’s recounting of his mother’s life greatly helps him in finding his own identity. He learns more about her and understands her more than he ever thought he would when he was a boy. He learns that she was born and raised Jewish but later converted to Christianity. The main thing that he learned from his mother was that you can’t submit to society and take the easy way out. His mother did not take help or charity even when she needed it most. She was a very strong woman and influenced her children greatly. James finally understands his roots and that he is not completely black despite the fact that he was raised that way, albeit by a white Jewish woman from Poland.

The title of this novel, “The Color of Water” is very significant with James’ struggle to find his identity as well as with regards to questions of race and religion. Water’s color depends on how one views it. It can be gray, to blue, to green, to even red sometimes. James’ view of himself racially is like this in a way. He does not really know exactly what he is. He’s a black man, but his mother is a white woman. He does not understand how this had happened for quite a while. However, James overcomes these obstacles and eventually does find himself and his true identity.

In my opinion, “The Color of Water” was a very exceptional novel. It tells the amazing stories of how both James McBride and his mother, Ruth, overcame cultural and personal obstacles in their lives. It showed the conflict faced by the American people when racial tensions spiked and McBride gives an amazing account of his experiences during these tough times. “The Color of Water” is really two stories in one because it chronicles both James’ and his mother’s harsh lives growing up, though for different reasons. It is a remarkable memoir about racial tensions and growing up during such hard times.

-Quint B.