The Color of Water

James McBride was born in 1957. He lived a confusing and turbulent childhood. His experiences lead him to write his memoir, “This Color of Water.” He faced social and moral issues. His mother, Ruth McBride Jordan, a Jewish white woman, had married a black man, Reverend Andrew D. McBride. During the early 1900s this was unacceptable to the public. James often questioned his identity. McBride went to Oberlin College and received an under graduate degree in music composition and masters in journalism from Colombia University. “The Color of Water” describes McBride’s young adult life in a poor black community with a large family, and a religious and strict white mother.

Ruth McBride Jordan said, “I’m dead. You want to talk about my family and here I been dead to then for fifty years.”(1) Ruth McBride Jordan does not exist. She was Rachel Deborah Shilsky and she died at the age of nineteen. Jordan’s family does not acknowledge her existence. Ruth said, “Rachel Shilsky is dead as far as I’m concerned. She had to die in order for me to live.”(2) Ruth McBride Jordan lives as if she was never Rachel Shilsky. She suppresses her past and creates a future as Ruth McBride Jordan.

When Ruth failed to inform her children off her past, they became confused about their own existence. One day James asked his mother why she did not look like the other mothers. She responded, “Because I’m not them…I’m your mother.”(12) James then said, “Then why don’t you look like Rodney’s mother, or Pete’s mother? How come you don’t look like me?”(12) Ruth chose not to talk about her past, which led to the children not knowing why they had different colored skin. Also, Ruth believed that the children did not need to know about her past. Her children then had no idea of who their mother was. When James began to uncover his mothers past, he began to truly understand himself. He realized the hardships his mother went through. He sees how she grew up and what influenced her actions such as, marrying a black man and sending the children to a white school. The McBride and Jordan children were constantly tugged between their mother’s thoughts. As children they were confused with her reasoning, but as they got older they were able to decipher and understand her motive.

Ruth McBride Jordan changed her name several times. Each change was a turning point in her life. Ruchel Zylsky was an immigrant she then began to take control of her life. She feels that she needed to get further from her Jewish family, which lead to her terminal name Ruth McBride Jordan. Ruth McBride Jordan bears all of the ups and downs of her previous lives. With this name she has also escaped her family.

Each house hold was run in a tyrannical manner. Tateh and Ruth both made the household decisions. However, Tateh’s decisions were not to help his family, they were to help himself. Tateh would not allow Ruth to play with her friend Frances because she was a gentile, or non believer. After school Ruth was to strictly come to the shop and work. While Ruth’s callous decisions were only to help her children. Even though, the white school was expensive and the kids were cruel, Ruth still sent them because they would get a better education.

James McBride titled his novel, “The Color of Water” with race and religion in mind. Water has not definite color, it is clear. Ruth explains to James that God is like water. People naturally judge others based on their race and religion. Ruth’s theory should encourage Americans to view others as if they were all the same. Not only Americans, but people everywhere should put rave and religion aside.

The McBride family’s lives were marked by historical even and people related to race relations in the United States. McBride said, “…listening as the Big Kids had animated conversations about ‘changing the system’ and ‘the revolution,’ extolling the virtues of Martin Lither King over Malcolm X and vice versa…”(73) James’ life was caught up in the racial tensions of the world. He felt that the thought of race as a secondary thought because his mother was white. When Ruth was explaining who Malcolm X was she said, “He was a man ahead of his time.”(32) James recalls, “She actually liked Malcolm X. She put him in nearly the same category as her other civil rights heroes, Paul Robeson, Jackie Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, A. Phillip Randolph, and the Kennedys…She viewed the civil rights achievements of black American with pride…”(32) Although Ruth had little time to think about racial issues, she was very supportive of racial equality.

James McBride obviously had a turbulent childhood, this lead him to write the novel, “The Color of Water.” His mother, Ruth McBride Jordan, overcame difficulties in her life. Her reasoning’s helped James throughout his life. I did not think the novel was bad, but it is not a book I would want to read again. I would recommend this book to someone who has had a rough childhood, racial issues, or likes history.

Maura Durso