1)
Write a response, choosing a line and explaining it's significance to
you. Please remember: no plot re-cap! Share your analysis, make
connections to the world, ask questions, and deepen your thinking.
2) Don't forget to respond to someone else's post!
2) Don't forget to respond to someone else's post!
“I did quit, partly because I got tired of running, and partly because the little ache I had known as a boy was no longer a little ache when I reached thirty.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stood out to me, because it shows what is really going on inside of James’ head when he starts to get the idea of writing a book about his mother. For him, writing is the same thing as running is for Ruth. He tries to get his mind off of that “ache” of ignorance of his mother’s background. This is why he becomes a Journalist. He keeps trying to get a good writing job to help him run, but he always ends up quitting, because he wants to learn about his mothers background, and stop running. He wants to face his mothers past, but also help her face her own past, so that they can have a better understanding of each other. As he gets older, this small ache he felt as a child grows bigger, because as he gets older, he begins to become more curious as to what his background is.
I definitely agree with the point you're making; it seems as though it is evident in the book that we all try to do various things to get our minds off what's going on. James certainly views his writing as a sanctuary which leads me to believe why he wrote this book about Ruth in the first place
DeleteI didn't think of his writing as a way for him to get away at first but now I totally agree. I really like the connection you make between his writing and Ruth's running. I also think that just like James' writing, at some point Ruth would have to stop and reflect the process of what is happening before she could move on again. In order for James to continue with being a journalist, he decides to write about his mother's past while at the same time to learn about himself about who he is in a way to get over the curiosity and similarly with Ruth, she needs to talk about her past to get over it before carry on to something else.
Delete"'Where should we bury you then?' She threw up her hands. 'Who cares? This is nonsense. I've got nothing to leave y'all anyway except some bills" -page 260
ReplyDeleteBy reading this here, i've come under the assumption that Ruth is very afraid of dying and that is hardly evident in the way she speaks but it is known that she is quite a reclusive and hidden person which led her son, James to try and find out about his mother's deep and hidden past. Ruth, like most people, is frightened of death but due to her personality that she has developed over the years, she clearly does not want to admit her fear and will do whatever it takes to show strength around those around her. In the world we live in today, it is quite a commonality to hide any weakness because of the fact that judgment lies at every corner.
In my blog post, I also wrote that Ruth is afraid to die. I feel she is scared at the fact that she doesn't have control over the situation. I don't think she's hiding her weakness because she is afraid of judgement, (she's never seemed to care what others think of her), but I think she just doesn't know what to do with herself.
DeleteI agree with Jenna I dont think she is afarid of being judged becuase she did get with two black men knowing people would talk and she didnt care. I agree that she fears death because she can't control it she cant run from it like she usually does.
DeleteI like how you compared judging to death, but in a way I do disagree. Yes, she shows she is afraid to die, but is that because she's afraid of being judged? Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you are trying to say, Connor, but maybe she's afraid of death and leaving behind the life she's built for herself.
Delete"It was a devastating realization coming to grips with the fact that all your life you have never really know the person you loved the most." Pg 266
ReplyDeleteThis line really stood out to me because it shows James finally realizing that he actually knows nothing about his mother, and the part that stood out the most was when he said "the person you have loved the most" meaning that his mom means everything to him. It was kind of upsetting to read this part for me at least because it showed how much James cares for his mother and the fact that it took her so long to open up is upsetting. He realized that he actually didn't know who she was at all and it was like a moment of shock. He also goes on to state that as a child it never bothered him and he accepted the fact that Ruth was closed up but now as he is growing up its something that he needs to learn about, in order to find himself. His mom's background is what he needed to finally feel complete and finally be able to identify who he is and finally be able to understand why his mother acted the way that she did. I think that finally realizing that like 20 something years later you sort of feel like you have been living a lie because you grew up knowing nothing about the person who raised you and now that he realizes it, Ruth seems like a complete stranger to James.
I totally agree without knowing about your history, you feel almost...lost in a sense, however as you learn more about your background you slowly begin to feel "found".
Delete“I felt like a Tinkertoy kid building my own self out of one of those toy building sets; for as she laid her life before me, I reassembled the tableau of her words like a picture puzzle, and as I did, so my own life was rebuilt.”
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because it really shows James struggle for identity. Color of Water is not only about James search for identity, but Ruth's journey to find herself and her identify. As Ruth talked about her past to James she found out more about her identity because she was finally expressing her feelings after bottling them up for so long. Just as Ruth was discovering herself, so was James. By understanding Ruth's childhood and past James could better recognize who he is and what his culture and race is. I think James and Ruth are both confused about who they are, because they are very mixed culture and not very excepted to the judgmental world. Even today people judge and are judged by race, ethnicity and religion.
I agree! I think making this book must have been a big journey for both Ruth and James, and they both felt more whole because of it. Sadly, it is true that people from clashing cultures often have trouble finding who they are. Maybe seeing what it was like for James and Ruth can help more people accept their heritage or background. A lot of people live in denial, but Ruth and James finally broke through. You're completely right--we need to judge less.
Delete"Fortunately the doctors got the mole off in time, but the question of her own mortality is one she seems to be preoccupied with of late, probably because she knows death is one condition in life she can't outrun." page 261
ReplyDeleteThis quote stuck out to me because throughout the whole book, a lot of what she does is run. She runs from the south away from her family and because of its constant racism. She avoids the topic of race and refuses to share her background with her family even though she knows her kids are extremely curious and have been their whole lives. I think Ruth is scared that she can't do anything about death. She seems to have been in control of many things her whole life and the fact that she won't be for much longer scares her.
In my opinion I think Ruth is done running away.Maybe she's okay with death because she feels accomplished. Her kids are what kept her moving forward and knowing that each of them are individually successful and educated makes her proud as mother. There's no purpose for her anymore no one to take care of and lead them to the right path. That's why if death ever came for her she'll leave knowing that she had been the best parent she could be.
Delete"To the very end, Mommy is a flying compilation of competing interests and conflicts, a black woman in white skin, with black children and a white woman's physical problem."-page 260
ReplyDeleteThis quote reminds me of the discussion we had earlier in class about the bigger themes-race, ethnicity and religion-of the novel. Although Ruth tries very hard to get away from her white-Jewish self, there is always something that would belongs and defines who she is no matter what she has done to cover it up. Ruth hangs out with black people and her kids are black and she basically a black woman but in the end, she still can't escape facing the problems of being white skinned. Whether she decides to recognize it or not, race and ethnicity are a part of her, a part of who she is or was.
I totally agree with you. I really like how you connected this with our discussion in our class.
DeleteCouldn't have said it better myself, she can't deny that she is white because it is part of her and it defines who she is. Ruth learns to face the past and the present and learns to accept who she really is.
Delete"Ironically, it's a condition that affects mostly white people. To the very end, mommy is flying a compilation of competing interests and conflicts, a black women in white skin, with black children and a white woman's physical problem." pg 261
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote for my final blog post because it reflects on what the whole book has been focusing on. Ruth's identity has impacted her life and James' and his siblings. Here James is stating his mothers identity himself. What he says in two sentences is what he has described throughout this whole book. We get the hint that Ruth feels like she's trapped inside a white woman's body. This may have helped James realize his own identity. He obviously did because he described his own mother that way.
"I was afraid of commitment then, afraid to have children because I didn't want them to be like me." pg. 264
ReplyDeleteThis line really stood out to me. It shows what a big issue being of mixed race was for James McBride. He had so much trouble finding his own identity, fitting into a world of black and white, he didn't want anyone else to suffer that way. Even if that meant he could never know the joy of being a father. This reminded me of how in The Hunger Games, Katniss didn't want to have children because they might one day be chosen for the vicious Hunger Games.But that world was a dystopian fantasy. It shocked me that someone like James McBride was afraid to have children because of the racism and stereotyping that still goes on in the world today. Something is horribly wrong with a society when adults feel that they must not have children in order to protect them from the hatred of the outside world.
Hi Francesca, I agree with you. You did a great connection between The Hunger Games and the book The Color Of Water. It totally assimilates the fact that both of the characters were afraid to have kids. That connects to many people in the world too.
DeleteMommy has changed, changed from the time she adopted Christianity back in the 1940's. What's different is that she can face the past now. -pg. 270
ReplyDeleteThis line really stood out to me in the chapter. The fact that Ruth can face the past is most likely because of the things that she and her children have gone through. I feel like Dennis was a huge part of her, even though he wasn't there for most of her life, his writing he left behind I think impacted her greatly. this connects back to the piece of Dennis' writing in the previous chapter. How looking back and fearing the past is a useless thing to do and just embrace the future. Hunter Jordan also had a great impact on this. Since he died, I'm sure Ruth finds the past even more hurtful and gives her another excuse to let that go.
"She married two extraordinary men and raised twelve very creative amd talented children."
ReplyDeletePage 274
That quote from Chapter 25 stands out to me in many ways. Ruth was almost a single mother because both of her husbands died and she had to raise her kids on her own, and she did a great job. What fascinates me is how she worked so hard to give them a better life and go to college even though they had little money. She is a very strong women and mother because during that time she was going through many racism because of her Caucasian skin, and Jewish background. Even though she tried to escape from her past, she managed well to take care of her kids and give the best she could and not go crazy like most mothers.
this quote had also stood out to me. I loved the way I could nearly 'hear your voice' in it, because it is coming from your perspective of Ruth. This is really good!
Delete"My college sweatheart,a mixed race woman from Hyde Park, Chicago- her mother was black and her father was Jewish- was the apple of my eye, but I was afraid of commitment then, afraid to have children because I didn't want them to be like me."(pg. 264)
ReplyDeleteThis line caught my attention because James now knows his mother's story and where she has come from and what her family was like. He has discovered a part of him that was missing. One can assume that James is afraid of the cycle repeating and it's understandable why he would be so afraid. Humans in general are always afraid of commitment because we all carry bad traits from our parents and we all have our flaws. It scares us to actually think about marriage and having a family because it won't be just about you anymore. You'll have to learn how to be selfless. Having children would also be a big deal for James because he knows what it's like to feel different and how much pain it has brought him. He wouldn't want to see his future kids suffer for being half Jewish and half black the way he did. At the same time I question myself why wouldn't he risk it? If she was the apple his eye. She's what brought him happiness at one point why give it up?
apple of his eye*
Delete"Mommy has changed, changed from the time she adopted Christianity back in the 1940's. What's different is that she can face the past now."
ReplyDeletepg. 270
This quote stood right out to me. When Ruth had first converted over to christianity, she was with Dennis. He had such a great influence on her, and she loved him so much. I belive that part of the reason on why she ran away from home, was for Dennis. She was so deeply in love with him, and then when he died it ruined her. Maybe that is a reason why Ruth doesn't talk much about her old family life, because her memories with Dennis would rush back to her, and she would think back on the risks she took to be with the man that she loved, and how if she had never taken those risks, she wouldn't be who she is today. I think that Denis is the reason she won't talk about her past, it's the good memories that scare her, and what could have been. Talking to James would have been good for Ruth, because she was pregnant with him when Denis died. Ruth just needed to learn that there is no way to go back, but you can only make good of your present. Ruth is finally overcoming the fear of her past, and putting it behind her for both her and her children
I agree with you Mary. I think that James expresses that his mother finally acknowledged that the past is behind her, and she needs to accept it. With this acceptance, furthermore, she's capable to facing it as well. I think that she will always have a great love and appreciation for Christianity, but I think that she's realized that she needed it more than ever when going through her childhood, as well as remembering such events. I also think that at this moment, James fully sees his mother and her different sides. He finally understands her need for Christianity then, and how she was capable of facing the past now. It was truly a perfect ending to the novel: James finally knowing who his mother is.
DeleteMatthew Baldwin
ReplyDelete"Now that's what you call power."
After all of the years of keeping in her past to get power over her self and he kids, she finally has power when she shares her story to James in the end of the book. The line was a really good line to end on because it has been what Ruth has been wanting the whole time. Power over anything, even if it is just her family. Ruth couldn't get power as a mom when her children were young, when they didn't know her story, but as her lids grow older and one by one know about her story, they get mature and grow up to have a big family and amazing jobs and careers. The key of the book was for Ruth to let go of her story to get power, not hide it to get power. The more James knows about Ruth, his mom, the more he listens to her,because he can feel her suffering.
"I was afraid of commitment then, afraid to have children because I didn't want them to be like me."-Page 264
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me for an abundance of reasons. This context demonstrates how exactly racial discrimination towards his family, but mainly his mother, has affected James' perspective on numerous things. The fact that he feared having his own children because of things his mother and siblings had to endure, shows how difficult things were for him. I think that this is just an instinct all humans act upon. I think that when we fear something greatly, it becomes translucent through our actions, and interferes with what we normally would've felt/thought in that moment. In addition, going back to the novel, I think that James' was afraid his children were going to grow up to be like him because since he feared commitment, I think he also feared having to tell his children about his childhood and how he was basically clueless about his family
s history for quite a period of time.
I agree with you when you say "I think that when we fear something greatly, it becomes translucent through our actions, and interferes with what we normally would've felt/thought in that moment." This does apply to people, often when they are afraid, we hind out fear. Though, it uncontrollably appears in the things we do. Fear may be tucked away in out subconscious, but it still is a strong emotion that makes itself visible through our actions.
DeleteOh goody, it works . . .
ReplyDelete"To the very end, Mommy is a compilation of competing interests and conflicts, a black woman in white skin, with black children and a white woman's problem." (pg. 260)
I think that this was a good example of of James' mother being very confused about who she (was). The way he portrayed her, she definitely seemed to have the best of both worlds, both black and white. To me, he seemed to just sum up her whole existence in one sentence, and be able to sum it up quite well. I think he was also maybe talking about how she might have wished it to be this way, kind of like with James looking at his reflection in the mirror, this is how Ruth would have thought of herself so she could fit in where she thought she belonged.
I agree with you. Ruth would choose to distance herself from white people, and would hang out with black people, while she still faced issues that white people faced. I agree that that line practically sums up Ruth's life. I think she was confused about who she was, and where she thought she belonged.
Delete"If it takes as long to know Jesus as it took to know you, I think, I'm in trouble" (pg 261)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because here James is thinking to himself kind of sarcastically in a way but truthfully after Ruth said it's important to "know Jesus". I laughed when I read this line because Ruth telling him to know Jesus is funny coming from her, who botted up her past throughout James' whole life until he became an adult and wanted to know about her past and his roots. After James thinks this to himself, he says "It took many years to find out who she was, partly because I never knew who I was." I completely understand and agree with what James says here because not knowing who your Mother is and her story can reall cause you to not have a clue what your family's history is, especially growing up in the time James grew up where a lot of the African Americans despised his Mom for being white and marrying a black man and a lot of the Jews especially Ruth's family despised her for that same reason. James was closed off to all of that information about his roots and it caused him to not know anything at all about his Mother, and now he's a full grown man and he's only now really getting to know his roots and know Ruth's story, which is very sad but probably relieving for James.
"Ironically, it's a condition that affects mostly white people. To the very end, mommy is a flying compilation of competing interests and conflicts, a black woman in white skin, with black children and a white woman's physical problem." pg 260
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because it accumulated Ruth's life pretty well. I feel that James was able to say this after he learned more about his past. I believe that James felt a lot of sympathy towards her after learning more about who she was, because of all the hardship she went through. James was really able to empathize with Ruth. Also, James was able to understand her current problems and her wanting to be integrated and considering herself as African American. Something I realized from this quote was that Ruth wants "to be" black because her entire life she was around family which was black. Her kids were black and so were her husbands and in a way I think she felt that she was segregated from the rest of her family as in a way she was disconnected. I think that James realized how hurt his mother was and he really tried to understand and he did which finally brought them to an equal level.
"Being mixed is like that tingling feeling you have in your nose just before you sneeze - you're waiting for it to happen but it never does." (p. 262)
ReplyDeleteThis line stood out to me because of its unique comparison to being biracial and sneezing. Why would he make this analogy? I think it is because that feeling he is describing is very unsatisfying and bothersome because it can't decide if it wants to sneeze or not. I think this relates to being biracial because its like your body, and mind, can't decide if it is black or white. Also, I think they are tied because being biracial could be somewhat unsatisfying because you are not sure where your place is in the world.
I definitely agree with you- this is a pretty creative analogy, but it does work.
Delete"Like any familywe have problems, but we havealways been close. Through marriage, adoptions, love-ins, live-ins, and shack-ups, the original dozen has expanded into dozen and dozen more-wives,husband, childern, grandchildern, cousins, nieces, nephews-- ranging from drak-skined to light-skinned; from black kinky hair to blond hair and blue eyes." (277)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because at the end of the day his family went through a lot and they still come together as one from Christmas. Family is number one and he really shows that family will always be there no matter what. Like he says in his family there are dark skinned and light skinned but that doesn’t matter. What really matter is what’s one the inside and the blood that runs in their vein. In the middle of the book he explains how his sister leaves and doesn’t want to come back but as we can tell she ended up going back to family. You can never run away from family, you need family and you can always count on them. This one family that started with girl who got no love and was sexually abused which then she ended up building a bigger family with extra love and lots of affection. She may have not known how to give all that love but they learned with each other which makes everything so much cuter.
I think this is a great point. They have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly together. Yet they pull it together, set the past aside, and enjoy the holidays together as a family. It doesn't matter what your skin color is because they didn't care, family was family. Good quote!
Delete"Now thats what you call power." (278)
ReplyDeleteThe last part of any book is always a special part. I think its common for people to make too much of an analysis about the last lines but I do feel like this says a lot. One thing that both Ruth and James have that is visible 20/20 throughout the novel is power. This is not power as in having power over people, its the power to push through all the problems they have to deal with. Its the mental toughness Ruth has that allows her to move on even though she faces being ostracized from every crowd of people because of her race, religion, or her spouse. Its James being raised not being told anything and having to figure the ropes out himself. Both Ruth and James push through life obstacles that I don't think the average person would be able to. I think that is power.
"I asked Mommy if she would be interested in doing a book and she said no. I told her it would make me a million bucks. She said, "Okay. if you're rich, i'm rich. just don't quit your job." (p. 267)
ReplyDeleteThis line stood out to me because it made me wonder what made Ruth willing to tell James' her past. When James told her he could make a million bucks, she said okay. I never saw Ruth as the type of person to really care about money, the qualities of people seem to matter more to her. In this chapter, James explains how he struggled with finding who he was, and to find who he was he had to find out his mother's past. This made me wonder if Ruth actually cared whether James were to be rich or not, or if she could tell he really wanted to know and she decided it was time. I think she could tell James was struggling with his identity, considering she knew how often he would quit his jobs. Plus, she had been holding back from telling her children her past for so long, she probable believed they had waited long enough.
I agree but I also think that Ruth doesn't want James to struggle with poverty like she did. She feels she can help her children's lives if she allows James to write this book.
Delete"It was a devastating realization coming to grips with the fact that all your life you have never really know the person you loved the most."
ReplyDeleteThis line stood out to me because it shows the effect that Ruth hiding her past from her kids had on them. James was really hurt by the fact that he didn't know much about his and his mom's past, both in this moment and throughout his whole life. I don't think it was fair of Ruth to do this to her kids, even if she thought she was protecting them (and herself). No one should have to go their whole lives not knowing their background and where they came from- this aspect of a person doesn't entirely make up who they are, but it is a part of it and without your past it is much harder to move on to your present and future. By hiding her past, Ruth was doing many things to her kids- hiding their background (as a family), hiding parts of her personality, and hiding parts of the kids that they themselves didn't know. Things probably would've been much different in all of their lives if Ruth explained more about her background, even if it was hard to talk about.
"It was a devastating realization coming to grips with the fact that all your life you have never really know the person you loved the most." (Pg 266)
ReplyDeleteThis quote really stands out to me because it finally shows the reader the extent of Jame's internal emptiness without knowledge of his mother's past. You may love the person to death but you might not feel that they care about you the same way because they won't tell you anything about them. Ruth was not only shielding herself from her own past, she was trying to shield her children as well, she didn't want them to feel bad about their identity. She was afraid they would lose respect for her and "rebel" in a sense, however shielding them from the past did the exact thing she did not want it to do.
I agree and I think she was also very hurt from her past and didn't want to bring it up. It was very hard for her to tell her children all the things she went through. She's afraid that it will affect them.
Delete"Mameh's sisters were more about money than anything else, and any hurts that popped up along the way, they just swept them under the rug. They were all trying hard to be American, you know, not knowing what to keep and what to leave behind."
ReplyDeleteIn this quote Ruth explains how she views her aunt's philosophies on life, and how much they care about money. She makes the observation that it may have been the result of the pressures of immigration and Americanization. Mameh's sisters, like Ruth and James after them, were attempting to juggle the past and present and some how assosiate the new with the old.
"Even as a young boy I was used to Mommy hiding her past, and I grew to accept it, and the details of her past got lost as my own life moved forward which is probably how she wanted it anyway." - Page 266
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because it showed James moving on from her mother's past and realizing he didn't need it. He lived most of his life in curiosity and wondering his race and background, but as he grew older, he realized he didn't need any of that information to become successful. I think he needed to know SOME of his mom's past to understand himself, but he was independent. This also reminds me of Holden because I feel that they both had a big realization that is a big step in their life. Holden learned to accept change and James learned that the past is not as necessary. Although he forgot about his mom's past, it subtly guided him throughout his life.
“slipping away to her old stomping, grounds, the Red Hook Housing Projects, to go to church and see her old friends there. She loves Red Hook” (271).
ReplyDeleteMost people are fond of the place they grew up. It can bring back memories and a life you formerly had. Ruth uses Red Hook to replace Virginia and Harlem as the place she grew up because it is where she had her first good memories. After having a horrible childhood and her husband dying in Harlem she starts a “new” life in Red Hook making it so that in her view she grew up in Red Hook. To Ruth Red Hook is her real home. It is where she made her first friends, raised her kids, and even started a church.
"who the hell are you anyway? There were two worlds bursting inside me trying to get out. I had to find out more abouut who I was, and in order to find out who I was, I had to find out who my mother was." - Page 266
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because I think that James couldn't find himself without his mother. All his life he hasn't truly known who she was. James has two different personalities the writer and the composer. He would go back and forth with both he would so many writing jobs but he would always quit. Then he go find himself in music and have a career in composing music and playing the saxophone and then go back to writing. He can't choose a "side" beacuse he doesn't truly know who he is.
It is said that the past can sometimes answer the questions of the future, if this is true can people really tell you they are through the past ?
"Being caught between black and white as a working adult was far more unpleasent than when I was a college student."
ReplyDeleteThis line stood out to me because of how James compared working life to college life. It felt different for him to work in a mixed environment, whereas learn with whatever race. Why do you think this was? Maybe he was still uncertain of his background, still confused, and he was scared to be alone in the world without any answers, without any clarity. I felt bad for James, in a way, and I just wanted to reach out in the book and give him a hug. This line made me realize how lucky we are to be the melting pot of NYC, and not being judged or segragated today.
"It was a devastating realization coming to grips with the fact that all your life you have never really know the person you loved the most."
ReplyDeleteI find this quote to show a certain emotion from James. When he found out about his mother's life, he must have felt shocked and suprised that his mother's life could have been so rough. Especially how much she had changed and grown up. Ruth was able to face the past and be opened to her family about who she really was and where she came from. I love the fact that James and his siblings never held anything against there mother. Thye loved her even more for being able to open to them. They must have felt comfort to be able to see a different side of their mother and learn why she is the way she is and that deep inside she is still Jewish.