Character Analysis: The Color Of Water

Aristotle once theorized, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” The book, “The Color of Water” describes the lives of James and Ruth McBride and their journeys to find this happiness. Both of these characters, among other characters in the book struggled for the majority of their lives with the issues of race. They felt as if they were caught between two different worlds; the world of blacks and the world of whites. These struggles left all of the characters feeling forlorn. In McBride’s memoir it is made clear that in order to find happiness, the characters must first be able to confront and then overcome the racial divisions that were so prominent in their lives.

* The author gives the story from two different perspectives one from the mother’s perspective, Ruth, and the other from the son’s perspective, James.

James grew up in a racist and segregated part of history. Often times racial slurs were used to describe people of African descent during the time James was growing up. Even during school James would be called these horrendous names: “...someone in the back of the class whispered, “James is ni**er!” followed by a ripple of tittering and giggling across the room” (McBride 89). The fact that small school children call blacks these names shows how racist the many people are and the hatred and discrimination that blacks face. These experience taught James how people treat those that appear to be different. Another experience that taught James this was when he and his family went to the Jewish store and were discriminated against. McBride had many experiences in which he and his family were discriminated against whether it was by the police or store owners: “Some of these Jews can’t stand you” (86). All in all, incidents with people who have a particular dislike for blacks shaped James into the way

In the Color of Water, Ruth Mcbride has an important significance, because her complex past is what propels the book. Without her, the book would not be nearly as interesting. James Mcbride, Ruth’s son and author of the book, portrays Ruth as a secretive, un maternal like, and spiritual woman. Ever since James was a child, he remembers his mother never mentioning her past or her racial identity. James notes:”She had a complete distrust authority and an insistence on complete privacy which seemed to make her and my family odder .... Matters involving race and identity she ignored (9) Ruth keeps her past hidden away from her children, so that she doesn’t have to relive painful memories or inquire her past. In doing so, Ruth also doesn’t label

man, her family cuts all ties with her and sit shiva, to prove that Ruth is no longer

In the book, The Color of Water, Ruth’s past is very unknown and hidden to all of her children. James wants to find out more about his mother’s past so he decides to go to his mother’s old synagogue. In Chapter 22, James travels to downtown Suffolk in search for the Shilsky’s family to furthermore reveal his mother’s secretive past.

When Hunter Jordan passed away in the Color of Water, both Ruth and James were affected by his death. Hunter died of a stroke at the age of seventy-two. Ruth and James were affected similarly but yet differently. Starting with Ruth, she contrasts from her son James because she was more nonchalant about the situation. For instance, James, the narrator, says that “I would see my mother pedaling her blue bicycle. She would ride in slow motion across our street… It was her way of grieving” (McBride 2). Ruth seem to not let the past get at her best nor the present. She simply cruises through life, on her bicycle, as it continues. On the other hand, James was the opposite of Ruth because he committed crimes. As proof, he states “I virtually dropped

Ruth led a life broken in two. Her later life consists of the large family she creates with the two men she marries, and her awkwardness of living between two racial cultures. She kept her earlier life a secret from her children, for she did not wish to revisit her past by explaining her precedent years. Once he uncovered Ruth 's earlier life, James could define his identity by the truth of Ruth 's pain, through the relations she left behind and then by the experiences James endured within the family she created. As her son, James could not truly understand himself until he uncovered the truth within the halves of his mother 's life, thus completing the mold of his own

The book begins talks about other conflicts that arose with James and Ruth. James took a downward spiral during his teenage years,

“I'm dead. You want me to talk about my family and here I been dead to them for fifty years.” - Ruth McBride Jordan. Ruth McBride Jordan is a strong Polish Jewish woman with 12 children who firmly believes in work, school, and religion. Ruth undergoes many different changes within both herself and her family throughout The Color of Water, causing her to change her name 3 times in a way of reviving herself. These 3 names are significant with respect to her identity and her life because they represent a time in her life where she tried to change in order to make her it better. These name changes lead up to a manageable time of life for Ruth. The name Ruchel Dwarja Zylska is significant because it represents her when she was young naive girl who didn't understand the aspects of life. The second name, Rachel Deborah Shilsky, represents a time in her life where she tried to change her ways in order to fit in. The final name, Ruth McBride Jordan, stands for a time when she finally moves on with life and leaves behind all of the toxic things that once troubled her.

Both characters separate from their family due to ideological differences and conflicts. Ruth Younger. The playwright displays the role of women in America during the 1950s. Ruth who is

When Ruth became pregnant Denis fell ill with lung cancer and died before James was born. There are few personal characteristic that hinder her survival would be her pride. She let her pride get in her way when her father had died she could have ran her father's store. That had set her back from her being able to live the society. Another characteristic she has is being a risk taker and that was one of the traits that she has that hindered her survival moving around so much and not knowing the impact it would have on her kids.

Ruth McBride Jordan: Ruth is the central figure within this memoir and is the tough Jewish mother of James and eleven other children. Growing up as a Polish Jewish immigrant, Ruth gives up and ditches her own tradition to embrace the love she has for her black husband, Dennis McBride. Being Ruth’s inspiration, Dennis taught her to live and lead a non secular life, become apart of the Christian community , and that her family was her first priority no matter what. Ruth is committed to her faith and intelligent and never dwells upon her past. She mentors all twelve of her kids on the importances, that being God, work, and school.

Although Dennis didn’t leave money for Ruth and his kids, he left a home that is fully filled with love and vision. Ruth had led her kids to get the vision and have a good education than getting in the ghetto area where it provides low quality of education. Ruth and Dennis’s mindset toward racism had made their kids be more opened toward others. Also, Dennis kindness toward others had influenced his children to also be like him. Even though James had faced problem during his puberty, he was never selfish but always thought of others.

Prejudice against James’ family (because they are poor and black) also creates great sadness for them. This story takes place before the Civil Rights Movement, which is quite obvious when you see how James and his mother are treated when they go into town. As James said, “When I pass the little sign that say White and Colored, I start looking for a seat [on the bus],” which was a common rule back then. James and his mother cannot go into buildings that are for whites only. For example, James is not allowed in their “Big old red school, and them children just running and playing…Then us pass a café, and I see a bunch of ‘em in there eating.” They had to walk halfway across town just to eat at a colored restaurant instead.