The Color Water analysis

after the death of her first husband Ruth find favor the remarries the second husband whom she struggles to raise her kids. Although she is strict, Ruth is a kind of woman who is loving and wants her children to have a better education in life. James grows up in the large household and he has a strong connection with his mother but later in 2010, his mother dies in New Jersey. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the character and the themes in the memoir. James Character To begin with, James is the son of Ruth and the narrator of The Color of Water. Ruth's Character Ruth the mother of James was born in Poland and was also the immigrant to the United States of America. Ruth, they lived with her family in the black section where they had a general store.

Her father was a racist and used to overcharge his customers. Actually, Ruth was excommunicated by her father for having sympathized with the black people and she finds herself partially in the same hardship that black neighbors experience. The life of Ruth in adult differed compared to that of her parents and so she married Andrew Dennis McBride who was an African American and important to note the husband died when Ruth was expecting to get James. Segregation due to Race or Belief James and his mother are subjected to some degree of injury in their lives. James witness how black people are mistreated in their family. likewise, his mother has, on the other hand, faced rejection and ridicule for having associate herself with black people and if not enough when she gets to the black society she still finds the same stereotype that people have concern the race.

Ruth and her son James learn to avoid excluding others based on their religious belief or color. Self-reliance and Self-Motivation The work ethics of Ruth serves her to her advantage when she arrives in New York city something that she instills to her children's that education and hard work are of great importance. The color of the water Additionally, James who lives predominantly in a black society with a white mother asks his mother if God was white or black since he simply confused about race. James is confused about their real origin because his mother happens to be a white and where they live in a society that is mostly dominated by African American people, and he decided to ask her mother about his concern to clear his doubts. Ruth responds to her son James and tells him that she is not white but light-skin and god is the color of water which prompt the race and religious division into the universal spirit.

Household Governance In this case, Tateh did not love household and that is why he abuses Ruth sexually and still enslaved his Sam who was his son. Tateh was unable to put his house in order, and so what he was busy doing is invading other people homestead and taking advantage of people like Ruth who had been in that community with no close lineage. Therefore, the children grew up being surrounded by the member of their family and it was not easy for Ruth to both grew her child and herself in some African American households. In summation, there are several character and themes as discussed above, Firstly, James who is the author and narrates their life story to identify themselves with past; the author finds himself in a state that is complicated since his mother is a white and him being a half cast, He does not understand the reason as to why there is discrimination in their family specifically against the African American.

Secondly, Ruth, mother of James and Jewish immigrant from the US and later marries a black race, thirdly, Dennis who passed away before Ruth gives birth, the theme of pas verses present and James and her mother demonstrate it, Racial and religious exclusion. the theme of self-reliance and motivation and lastly, the burden of keeping secret which as immensely affects both the life of Ruth and that of her son James. Works cited McBride, James.