1. The book begins with a historical portrait of Ruth McBride Jordan. The author reveals that Ruth has had some name changes. Explain each name change and its significance.
The change of Ruth’s name indicates the changes that she has undergone since her birth. She was born in Poland as Rachel Dwanra Zylska and as the name indicates she was born into an orthodox Jewish family. The first name change happens in her second year when her family immigrates to America. It is here that she gets her second name Rachel Deborah Zylska, which was ‘an American version of her Polish name’ (The Color of Water 8), to mark the change of her citizenship. She then becomes Ruth Shilsky when she left Virginia for good, in order to leave her past behind and goes on to become Ruth McBride after marrying Andrew Dennis McBride a black American. She also converts to Christianity from Judaism, after marrying Hunter Jordan and has her name change once again Ruth McBride Jordan.
Each name change signifies the character alterations of Ruth from a rebellious young woman to a resolute mother who dared to raise all her children to be successful.
2. In the opening portrait, Ruth describes her father, Fishel Shilsky. She states, “He was a fox, especially when it came to money.” Explain what she means by this metaphor.
Fishel Shilsky, according to Ruth, was ruthless and cunning. He uses Ruth’s mother Hudis as a way to get into America. He wore the same clothes throughout his life. He believed both in God and money. He usually overcharged his ‘black’ customers and so Ruth uses this metaphor to describe him.
3. What was the reason for James’ rebellion in high school and how did it manifest itself? How did James’ brothers and sisters feel about his rebellion?
James’ rebelled in high school because he lost his biological father, which affected his grades, so he skipped classes frequently and dropped out of high school and took to drugs and crime. James’ siblings were concerned about him and tried to correct him.
4. James compares acquiring baseball cards with garnering information about his mother:“We traded information on Mommy the way people trade baseball cards at trade shows, offering bits and pieces fraught with gossip, nonsense, wisdom and sometimes just foolishness.” Why is this analogy appropriate? Explain why Ruth’s children feel the need to trade information about their mother? Who has been the most reliable source of information about your family history? When did you first realize that this family member was a good source of information and what were the circumstances?
Ruth’s children traded information about their mother because she tried to keep the older children apart from the younger ones. It was also due to the immigrant mentality where Ruth didn’t want to divulge too many details about her past to her children.
Our family elders have been a reliable source of information as they spoke about our family history and our keenness to know the circumstances about our conversion of faith made us understand the importance of family elders so as to cull out information about our family’s past.
5. James states, “. . . There was a part of me that feared black power very deeply. . ..” Is James’ fear justified? Explain your answer. How does James learn to cope with his fear and better understand his mother’s seeming fearlessness
James is every bit justified in his fear of Black Power as he loved his white mother very dearly and was concerned about her safety. He later learns to cope with his fear as he sees her, ignoring the jeer that she encounters while taking her children out.
6. In what way did James’ mother represent the“ best and worst of the immigrant mentality” What was his parents’ strategy for overcoming poverty?
Ruth’s defiance, deep distrust of people around was the ‘worst of immigrant mentality’ while the best of it was hard work, quest for excellence, distrust of authority figures and deep trust in God and education. Of these, his parents advocated the last two as the strategy for overcoming poverty.
7. Ruth tells James, in chapter 6, that “In the New Testament, God is the color of water.” What does she mean by this? How does this statement reflect how Ruth sees the world and what she tries to instill in her children?
8. Chapter 8, “Brothers and Sisters”, reveals some of the conflict that can exist between brothers and sisters. What is Helen’s conflict? What might prompt a fifteen year old child in her situation to leave home so abruptly? What is Ruth’s brother Sam’s fate? Describe Dennis and James’ attitude towards each other.
Growing up amidst twelve siblings, James describes that they were like friends except when they had to share food. Helen was rebellious by nature who felt that “the white man’s education was not for her,” and always argued with her other siblings about “African American rights.” Her strong belief that she needed more space to live her own life, prompted her to leave home. Ruth’s brother Sam was much like Helen, he too had run away from home at an early age to escape his tyrannical father and gets killed in World War II. Dennis had disregarded James’ waywardly ways while James held Dennis in high esteem.
9. Compare and contrast James’ public school experience with his mother’s public school experience. Identify at least two ways their experiences are similar and at least two ways their experiences are different.
James and Ruth both have suffered racial prejudices in the Public school. Ruth attended a Public School, where Jews were hated and the Jewish community themselves did not welcome her amidst them. She was not allowed to play with the gentiles either. James attended a white man’s school where he was constantly jeered at for having a white mother.
10. Describe Rachel’s summer visits to New York. What was different about her visit in the summer of 1936?
Ruth’s mother sent her to New York to visit Aunt Betsy, who treated Ruth as inferior to her own daughters. However, in the summer of 1936 when Ruth went to New York, Aunt Betsy finds out that Ruth is pregnant and helps her to get an abortion.
11. In chapter 15, Ruth begins to make decisions concerning her future. What concerns does she have at this point in her life? What does she decide and to what extent will her decisions impact her family members? (How will her decisions affect Mameh, Tateh, and Dee Dee?)
After graduation, Ruth wanted to leave Suffolk and live life on her own terms, create an identity of her own, and break free from Tateh’s clutches. She promises Dee Dee that she’ll get back, but is not able to do so. She knew that she would be causing a lot of hurt to her Mameh and Dee Dee, but does not worry about Tateh.
12. To whom do you think the chapter, “Lost in Delaware” refers? Explain your answer by supporting your conclusion with specific examples from the text.
Lost in Delaware refers to James, who wanted to make a fresh start away from his rebellious past. He began to concentrate on his education as was advised by the ‘chicken man.’
13. In chapter 21, Ruth recounts her memories of her mother’s death. Explain Ruth’s statement: “I was her eyes and ears in America . . . Her reasons for living just slipped away.”
Ruth knew that mameh loved her very much and when she decided to leave to New York she knew that she was betraying Mameh’s trust. With Ruth moving away from Suffolk, mameh’s reasons for living just slipped away and ill-health took over her, eventually leading to her death. Ruth felt guilty for having deserted mameh.
14. Ruth comments, “My world expanded because of Dennis.” Write 2-3 examples of how Ruth became more enlightened by her experience/ marriage to Dennis.
Ruth felt her world expanded because of Dennis because first of all he helped to get out of the guilt that she cared about her mother’s death. She also started attending a Metropolitan Church where she started to evolve more of a Christian and the Jew in her diet.
15. What were the James’ expectations when he first decided to write this book? How did his mother feel about his decision? In what ways was it helpful for James and his mother?
James wanted to write a memoir to get out of the sense of aimlessness he was experiencing and also to get out of the identity crisis that he was suffering from childhood. Though skeptical initially, Ruth saw this as a way to help him and to let everyone know about her struggles. James and Ruth both benefitted from it as it helped them to remove the racial segregation they suffered had come to an end and love started to pour in from all quarters.
Works Cited:
McBride, James. The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute To His White Mother. New York: Penguin, 1996. Print.
Hevesi, Dennis. “Ruth McBride Jordan, Subject of Son’s Book ‘Color of Water,’ Dies at 88.” Web Blog Post. The New York Times Company, 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Aug. 2016
“Chapter Summaries.” The Colour of Water Summary, e-notes.com. Web. 20 Aug. 2016
“The Color of Water.” Literature. Spark notes. Web. 20 Aug. 2016
