The Book ‘The Color of Water’

It was the first time I reached for the book ‘The color of water’. James McBride is a writer who wrote this book.. The work is his tribute to his mother. It shows the story of a black man raised by a white Jewish mother. She tells the story of immigration of her family to America and her childhood. The book presents reality in the world of Judaism.

The chapter ‘Death’ is focused around the story of how his mother moved to the United States and the history of her family. Ruth’s account of her childhood includes the explanation of her bitter separation from her family, which explains her later avoidance of the topic of her family. Even in her contributions to this book, Ruth is at times reluctant to rehash her painful past. In first line of the first chapter Ruth declares, “I’m dead.” At this point, in the 1980s, it’s been almost fifty years since she’s seen or talked to one of her relatives. She’s dead to her parents and siblings, and her family may as well be dead to her.

In the chapter ‘Kosher’ Ruth describes what she found to be the suffocating strictness and specific rules of Orthodox Judaism. Ruth desceibes her parents arranged married. She talks about how the marriage was not for love but for financial gain. Ruth’s parents have never been happy in their arranged marriage. In this chapter we learn about the traditions prevailing in this family. The role of men dominates here.

In the chapter ‘The Old Testament’ Ruth describes her childhood as a poor Jewish immigrant in the United States. I honestly admit that I chose this chapter randomly. Father’s constant failures meant that Ruth had to move all the time. The delicate topic of Ruth’s sexual harassment by her father is also raised. She fears and resents Tateh because of that and she felt she couldn’t tell anyone about it.

I chose chapter six ‘The New Testament’ to read this story in turn. Ruth finds comfort and clarity in religion .She explains what actually is ‘the color of water’ This is where the title of the book comes from. She explains that this is God. She explains that God has no color preferences, as God himself is the color of water, and therefore all colors.

The book ‘The Color of Water’ is a book that I would not choose to read because I prefer other genres. However, after reading, I do not regret it because we can learn lessons from each book and experience something new.

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