Philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Whether individuals are silly or wise, studying incidents from their history provides them valuable lessons. By unrolling their memories, people can draw wisdom from prior errors and safeguard their futures. James McBride typifies this notion when he weaves his mother Ruth’s old times and his new world in his memoir The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother. Via James’s quest for his mother's heritage as a struggling biracial kid, McBride portrays the strength of Ruth who endures social and economic hardships raising twelve biracial children. Despite Ruth’s reticence on her painful upbringing, the author discloses that her past guides her present behavior and strengthens her to overcome challenges of building her children’s future. Fundamentally, Ruth’s Jewish immigrant heritage builds her essential beliefs that self sufficiency and education lead to her kids’ success. Ruth recalls her working in her father Tateh’s store during her childhood in Suffolk, “We worked there from morning till night, except for school, and Tateh had us timed for that” (McBride 41). Ruth’s Jewish immigrant parents discipline Ruth with an unyielding work ethic by running their family business on her free time and completing her homework between customers. . Therefore, Ruth develops self sufficiency. Consequently, this part of history holds profound influence on Ruth’s parenting skill since she knows no other ways for raising her children besides her own upbringing from her Jewish family. Ruth cannot entirely dismiss her history, instead, she instills the value of independence and discipline in her kids. Moreover, Ruth embraces education... ... middle of paper ... ...r fondness and loyalty to her children and their future. Accordingly, although Ruth shelters her children from her painful past, she reconciles her experiences and becomes a wiser and stronger mother to raise her accomplished children. Ruth’s memories reveal a mother’s triumph in providing an optimistic outlook for her kids. Similarly, when people reflect on their past, especially via their defeat and agony, they can gain wisdom by understanding how problems developed and how people approached them. These reflections also help individuals understand who they are today and where they are going tomorrow. Lessons from the old days can empower them to adjust their present behaviors and to reach their goals in a brighter prospect. Works Cited McBride, James. The Color of Water :A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother. New York: Riverhead Books, 1996. Print.
The story “Black Man and White Women in Dark Green Rowboat,” written by Russell Banks, is about a struggling interracial relationship. Throughout this story one will find that the white women tries to control every part of their relationship. While the black man would like to express his thoughts of what they should do in their situation, the girl will not even give him a chance. Once the black man sees just how selfish this girl is, he makes the decision to leave her and move on with his life.
Questioning looks, dirty gazes, and the snide babbles were all too accustomed to Ruth McBride, when she walked down the street with her tow of children. James McBribe, one of the dozen children from her two elopements, was often ashamed as well as scared. They had to prolong the worse racial monikers. His mother, who was white, maintained unattended, “Whenever she stepped out of the house with us she went into a somewhat mental zone where her attention span went no farther than the five kids trailing her,” McBride subsequently wrote “My mom had absolutely no interest in a world that seemed incredulously agitated by our presence. The remarks and stares that we heard as we walked about the world went right over our head.” Her indomitable spirit and her son’s recollections became the basis of “The Color of Water”. In the work there is a great presence of God and the fortitude he unconditionally sends, especially to Ruth. Although Ruth’s clout frequently surpassed her circadian problems, she would more regularly rely on God for her vigor.
Prentice Hall Anthology of African American Literature. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. 163-67. Print.
In order to obtain religious, social, political, and equality 23 million Jews immigrated to America during the years between 1880 and 1920 (Chametzky, 5). Anzia Yezierska wrote about her experiences as a poor immigrant in her fictional work becoming a voice of the Jewish people in the1920s. She struggled to obtain an education that allowed her to rise above her family’s poverty and gain a measure of autonomy. Rachel and Sara, the female protagonists, mirror the author’s life going from struggling immigrant to college graduate. Yezierska uses her own experiences to portray the Jewish immigrant experience with a woman’s perspective. She successfully gained a commercial following that allowed her to mediate the cultural differences between the mainstream culture and the Jewish people that helped resolve differences between the established Americans and these new immigrants for a time (Ebes...
James McBride's The Color of Water. James McBride's memoir, The Color of Water, demonstrates a man's search for identity and a sense of self that derives from his multiracial family. His white mother, Ruth's abusive childhood as a Jew led her to search for acceptance in the African American community, where she made her large family from the two men she marries. James defines his identity through the truth of his mother's pain and exceptionality, through the family she creates and the life she leaves behind.
In The Color of Water, author James McBride writes both his autobiography and a tribute to the life of his mother, Ruth McBride. In the memoirs of the author’s mother and of himself, they constantly face discrimination from their race in certain neighborhoods and of their religious beliefs. The trials and tribulations faced by these two characters have taught readers universally that everyone faces difficulties in life, but they can all be surmounted.
Los Angeles is a place with a dynamic history. It has grown to be one of the most diverse cities in the world as a whole. Despite the diversity for which it is known for, the city has always had a striving conflict due to racial and class tension. The social stratification of its past continues to take its toll as dividing lines persist in contemporary Los Angeles. Furthermore, these dividing lines redefine place in Los Angeles, whether geographically or personally, to be subject to race and class. Fluidity has become evident recently however it is more common for the identity of people to be fixed in society. Through the novel Southland, by Nina Revoyr, and various means of academic sources, one is further able to explore the subject of race, place, and reinvention in Los Angeles.
Ruth has an intriguing personality. She is very loving towards her family. She will do all in her power to improve the lifestyle of her family. When it appears that the deal for the house in Clybourne Park will fall through, she promises to dedicate all of her time to make the investment work. “Lena-I’ll work… I’ll work 20 hours a day in all the kitchens in Chicago…I’ll strap my baby on my back if I have to and scrub all the floors and wash all the sheets in America if I have to-but we have to MOVE!” she pleads to her mother-in-law (Hansberry140). Her plan is unrealistic and idealistic, but the well being of her family is more important to her than anything. Ruth is also witty and sarcastic at times. She cracks jokes to lighten the mood of her family when they’re worried. “Well that’s the way the cracker crumbles. Joke. (121)” When Beneatha and Mama are stressing over the neighborhood they are moving into, Ruth makes a witty joke to improve the mood. Ruth supervises the daily routine and well being of her family. She makes sure that everyone does what they are supposed to and stays on track. ...
Literacy has impacted individuals of all classes, race and gender. In The Color of Water, James McBride´s interaction with literacy causes him to look at the world more deeply by seeking the story of his mother. Wes Moore’s The Other Wes Moore shows the reader the effects of literacy when comparing the lives of two men with the same name. Additionally, Richard Wright’s Black Boy shares the insight of what literacy can have on an individual’s sense of the world, and Brent Staples’ “Black Men in Public Space” sheds light on the stereotypical platforms set by society. Lastly, Gwendolyn Brooks’s “We Real Cool” explains a life full of careless fun. Although these stories differ, the influence of literacy has enabled each man to grow as a person
The Color of Water is an autobiography about a woman named Ruth Mcbride Jordan. She is the mother of the author of the book, James Mcbride. Ruth is a very strong woman with a lot of faith in God. She is a Polish immigrant and she faces some hardships in the story. She immigrated to America with her Jewish and Polish family when she was just a little girl. Throughout the book, her identity is transformed through all of the events that occur with her and the other characters. All of the important things in her life consist of: religion, faith, God, education, work, and school. The reason that I say that Ruth Mcbride is a strong woman is because she has the ability to get through several hardships in her life. After reading, The Color of Water, I would state that Ruth Mcbride has obtained the identity of a strong mother with a lot of faith and confidence.
African American families have special challenges. In his novel When All Is Said and Done, author Robert Hill explored the large portion of women and adolescents who, through the years, have had to work inside and outside the home long before careers for women was ever established and became more acceptable and adaptable in society. Although Hill’s characters are Jewish, his story resonates on how necessary and extraordinarily versatile historical family roles are in African American families. Langston Hughes’s special poem, Mother to Son, likewise captures the voice of an African American mother’s struggles as she challenges her son to face life’...
Cecilia was diagnosed with cancer while Ruth was in high school and the day before her daughter’s graduation, she passed away (Salokar & Volcansek, 1996). One of the greatest influences on Ruth’s life was her mother and the values she instilled in her from a young age. Two of the greatest lessons that Ruth learned from her mother was to be independent and to be a lady, and by that she meant not to respond in anger but to remain calm in situations (Reynolds, 2009).... ... middle of paper ... ...
"...the effect is a tendency toward lighter complexions, especially among the more active elements in the race. Some might claim that this is a tacit admission of colored people among themselves of their own inferiority judged by the color line. I do not think so. What I have termed an inconsistency is, after all, most natural; it is, in fact, a tendency in accordance with what might be called an economic necessity. So far as racial differences go, the United States puts a greater premium on color, or better, lack of color, than upon anything else in the world."
Due to the rich land created by the flooding rivers, civilizations first began in Africa. These life-supporting rivers allowed cultures and societies to grow and flourish until European interference led to the enslavement of Africans in the United States and other countries. While generations of African Americans had fought against slavery and for equal citizenship, by Langston Hughes’ time there was still no true equality. Langston Hughes was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance which took place in New York in the 1920s. In 1921, Hughes wrote “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” about African heritage and its connection to rivers. The word “rivers” is used in three different ways: as a connection to the struggle of Blacks in America, to ancient
The poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” symbolically connects the fate of the speaker of the poem and his African American community to the indestructible and powerful force on Earth- the river. The river embodies both power and dominance but also a sense of comfort. The poem is a prime example of the message of hope and perseverance to anyone who has suffered or is currently suffering oppression and inequality in their lives and in society. The speaker in the poem pledges to the reader that with hard-work, determination, and willpower to succeed, he will get where he is going regardless of the obstacles and challenges he may face on his path of reaching his goals in life.