James McBride’s The Color of Water switches between his story growing up as a black boy with a white mother named Ruth, to her story about being the only white Jew in an all black community. James is interested in his mother’s family tree and undergoes many big changes in his lifetime. However as a reader, Ruth McBride’s story is more captivating because of her childhood experiences and how she went against everything she was taught by her racist family to having an all black family of twelve children.
Throughout the book, James struggles to figure out his racial identity. In his young eyes, he is living in two worlds. One African American father and a white mother whom he had no idea where she came from. During the 60’s, it was very peculiar …show more content…
One day she found out was pregnant and seeked help from her aunt in New York City. Her aunt did not accept her being with Peter but she helped Ruth with an abortion. When she went back home, Ruth was heartbroken when she found Peter with another pregnant woman whom he decided to marry. After high school, Ruth worked in her aunt’s leather factory and fell in love with Andrew McBride. Since he was also black, Ruth’s family disowned and was considered dead by her family. They performed the same rituals for her as they would for someone who just passed away. Ruth threw away her Jewish faith and converted to Christianity. Ruth married Andrew and became Ruth McBride who she raised eight children with. They moved to the housing projects in Brooklyn and founded a Baptist Church. They were happily married, except it had to come to a …show more content…
He became very angry and rebellious to the point of drinking and doing drugs. He spent time living with his sister Jack where he learned the importance of hard work and his love for God grew. “You have to choose between what the world expects of you and what you want for yourself,” my sister Jack told me several times. “Put yourself in God’s hands and you can’t go wrong.”(CITE) Music and writing became a big part of his life and one of his main focuses. During his senior year of high school, James was accepted into Oberlin College. He and his eleven siblings completed college and lead successful careers, thanks to his mother who pushed the importance of education. Unlike her own childhood, Ruth always stayed close with her children and
Throughout the book, James struggles to figure out his racial identity. In his young eyes, he is living in two worlds. One African American father and a white mother whom he had no idea where she came from. During the 60’s, it was very peculiar …show more content…
One day she found out was pregnant and seeked help from her aunt in New York City. Her aunt did not accept her being with Peter but she helped Ruth with an abortion. When she went back home, Ruth was heartbroken when she found Peter with another pregnant woman whom he decided to marry. After high school, Ruth worked in her aunt’s leather factory and fell in love with Andrew McBride. Since he was also black, Ruth’s family disowned and was considered dead by her family. They performed the same rituals for her as they would for someone who just passed away. Ruth threw away her Jewish faith and converted to Christianity. Ruth married Andrew and became Ruth McBride who she raised eight children with. They moved to the housing projects in Brooklyn and founded a Baptist Church. They were happily married, except it had to come to a …show more content…
He became very angry and rebellious to the point of drinking and doing drugs. He spent time living with his sister Jack where he learned the importance of hard work and his love for God grew. “You have to choose between what the world expects of you and what you want for yourself,” my sister Jack told me several times. “Put yourself in God’s hands and you can’t go wrong.”(CITE) Music and writing became a big part of his life and one of his main focuses. During his senior year of high school, James was accepted into Oberlin College. He and his eleven siblings completed college and lead successful careers, thanks to his mother who pushed the importance of education. Unlike her own childhood, Ruth always stayed close with her children and