What is Family?

Based on 'The Color of Water' by James McBride

Background

“The Color of Water,” by James McBride is tribute to his white mother. McBride is well-known musician, author, and screenwriter. In this book James describes and compares his and his mother's childhood stories. The main conflict in this story is James is trying to find his identity. McBride is trying to find out answers to all the questions he has about his youth and about 'who he is.' (James, 08-15)

The Family of James and Ruth McBride

Ruth, James's white mother, was not fan of her past, and tried to keep if from her large family. Ruth was of the Jewish faith and then converted to Christianity. Being Caucasian, converted Christian, and having interracial family brought many hardships on Ruth and the McBride family. (Hevesi, 10-15)

Ruth McBride was very strong woman. Her past was her weakness, she was not proud of it. She also did not like to speak of it. Ruth kept her past from her children. They did ask many times, and she somehow changed the subject and avoided it. She refused to tell them what truly her past consisted of. This made James very inquisitive as child, he was eager to know what roots were within him. The McBride children were not ever sure of their place in the world due to their mother's refusal to tell them about her childhood. She did this to ensure that they felt equality in the world. Ruth McBride started telling her story by saying she was “dead”. This is because she was in the eyes of her parents. They disowned Ruth at early age because her marriage to black man. Her parents saw this as blatant disrespect and rebellion. As Jewish family they did not agree with interracial marriage.

Ruth's contradictions contribute to James' ...