The Color of Water

The novel The Color of Water is a extremely moving book. It was written by James McBride, a graduate of Oberlin College who also holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. The Color of Water is a memoir of McBride's turbulent life as a bi-racial boy being raised by a secretive white mother who refused to admit she was white or reveal where she came from.

I believe Ruth never relieved her past to her children because it was to painful for her to relive. She attempted to forget all her past. An example is when she wants to drive her husbands car. She asks her son to show her how to drive. Yet in her past she drove trucks all over. That person who drove the truck for the store was forgotten. I believe leaving her sick mother, her abusing father, her own family disowning her, and not telling her children her past made it more difficult for them to find themselves. They knew their mother was different from their black friends mothers, yet she never admitted to being white, she always claimed to be light skinned. I think this refusal made her children feel a stronger identity with the African American in them. Yet it had to be confusing since they lived in a all black neighborhood and all the relatives they knew were black.

She begins her story by saying she is dead because Rachel is dead to her family. In 1941 they moved her. That person had to be dead in order for her to become Ruth McBride Jordan. She could not be Ruth McBride Jordan if Rachel was not dead. Her family would not have accepted her if she married a black man.

I believe these mommy contradictions did confuse Ruth's children. It didn't allow Ruth's children to have any knowledge of her past. which made them more confused about themselves. However the contradictions also made her children very accepting.

Ruchel Dwajra Zylska changing to Rachel Deborah Shilsky shows her coming from a polish immigrant to becoming an American. Ruth McBride Jordan comes to life when she marries Dennis and becomes a christian.

Ruth succeeded in raising her children because she loved them, and sacrificed for them. Tateh failed because he was selfish and greedy. He raised his children and wife with fear not love. Tateh bought himself nice things as where Ruth gave to her children, while Tateh took from his children. Ruth and Tateh were the same however in that they ruled their families with a iron fist, their way or no way at all, but Ruth's way benefited the children while Tateh's way only benefited himself.

Throughout James McBride's findings about his mothers past he found himself as well. He learned why his mother raised the children the way she did and many of her morals were revealed. He also found out he was of a Jewish back round which made him realize that he was not just bi racial but also Jewish.

The title The Color of Water is significant to questions of race and religion because water has no true color. Therefore it shows that if all people are seen as equal if we lived in a world without color.

James McBride liked the Black Panthers and Malcom X. However he was afraid for his mothers safety since she was white and he was black. Even though the Black Panthers did nothing to him, he punches a Black Panthers' son in the face on the bus ride to camp because he is afraid that the Black Panther is there to hurt his mother.

The Color of Water is a excellent novel. Throughout the book it reveals many flaws and problems in the world we live in. It is a very good example of how racist people will be just because of the color of someones skin or religion. I enjoyed the book a lot and found it fairly easy to read and truly liked the book.


Preston Mertes