Philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Studying history is necessary for people to avoid making the same mistakes. Whether it is about a country’s glory or personal misfortune, analyzing the past provides valuable lessons for people from all ages. They can draw wisdom and adjust their present behaviors. In his memoir, The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, James McBride illustrates this concept when he quests his mother Ruth’s old times and his new world. McBride portraits the hardship Ruth endures in her childhood, including those caused by father Tateh, and the challenges she faces raising her twelve biracial children. Despite Ruth’s painful upbringing, McBride discloses that by learning Tateh’s values and by avoiding his fault, Ruth gains strength to teach her children key elements for success. Fundamentally, from Tateh’s Jewish heritage, Ruth believes that education leads to her children’s success and insists them to focus on their study. Ruth remembers that Tateh pays for her private lessons on bookkeeping in Suffolk. Ruth points out, “He was tight with his money, but when it came to that kind of thing, he wasn’t cheap” (McBride 80). Tateh does not have much money and is often reluctant to buy Ruth new clothes. However, he resolves to pay for expensive tuitions so Ruth can get good education, a core value of Jewish culture. This experience becomes a distinct part of her youth and a stepping stone for her children’s future. Naturally, Ruth follows the same attitude to seek the best school for her children. McBride comments, “[We] were traveling miles and miles to largely white, Jewish communities to attend schools” (McBride 89). Although Rut... ... middle of paper ... ...o her children and to teach them love, acceptance and the pursuit of happiness. For the most part, although Ruth suffers a painful past, she picks up her father’s strengths, discards his misconduct, and becomes a wiser mother to teach her children core value to succeed. Ruth’s memories reveal that her prior struggles contribute to her later growth. As George Santayana pointed out, when people reflect on their past, especially via their defeat and agony, they can gain insight by understanding how problems developed and how others approached them. These reflections enlighten individuals on who they are today and where they are going tomorrow. Remembering the past empowers people to live through present and to safeguard future. 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.
The memories they have growing up affects how they see people and the life styles they choose. Jeannette’s fathers drinking habits plays a very big role in life. “Yeah, but you love this old drunk, don’t you?” Her dad said in an argument with her mother. Jeannette was just happy they didn’t kill each other. For many parts of her life she yarned to stop her dad’s drinking habits. His drinking habits hindered their family from a decent living environment, he couldn’t keep a job, made him a more violent person and blocked a strong relationship with his family. In her adult life, she made it her goal to never live like that again. His drinking also affected the relationship she had with him in her adult life. “Dad had a heart attack.” She mentioned in an interview if her dad was even still alive she wouldn’t written her books, but she still loved her dad for the good. “We started talking about some of Dad’s great escapades: letting me pet the cheetah, taking us Demon Hunting, giving us stars for Christmas.” Memories of the past helps kids distinguish between good and bad and which route they take in life and how they see the ups and downs in
In this time, the black community in America was beginning to find their voice and stand up for what they believed in and who they truly were. The problem with James is that he didn’t know who he truly was. He didn’t understand how he could be two different things while all of his siblings identified as one. They instilled a sense of resentment toward whites in him that confused him beyond belief. This confusion left him believing that his mixed race was a curse and something that he would have to carry on his back for the rest of his life. He believed it to be a burden, as he felt that he didn’t truly belong anywhere because of it. "I thought it would be easier if we were just one color, black or white. My siblings had already instilled the notion of black pride in me. I would have preferred that mommy were black. Now, as a grown man, I feel privileged to have come from two worlds." - James McBride. In his memoir, on of James' main realization about his life is that in the transition from adolescence to adulthood, he learned that being mixed race wasn’t so much a curse as a blessing.
McBride, James. The Color of Water: a Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother. New York: Riverhead, 1996. Print.
Gates, Henry Louis, and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. Print.
Ruth led a life broken in two. Her later life consists of the large family she creates with the two men she marries, and her awkwardness of living between two racial cultures. She kept her earlier life a secret from her children, for she did not wish to revisit her past by explaining her precedent years. Once he uncovered Ruth's earlier life, James could define his identity by the truth of Ruth's pain, through the relations she left behind and then by the experiences James endured within the family she created. As her son, James could not truly understand himself until he uncovered the truth within the halves of his mother's life, thus completing the mold of his own identity.
The story also focuses in on Ruth Younger the wife of Walter Lee, it shows the place she holds in the house and the position she holds to her husband. Walter looks at Ruth as though he is her superior; he only goes to her for help when he wants to sweet talk his mama into giving him the money. Mama on the other hand holds power over her son and doesn’t allow him to treat her or any women like the way he tries to with Ruth. Women in this story show progress in women equality, but when reading you can tell there isn’t much hope and support in their fight. For example Beneatha is going to college to become a doctor and she is often doubted in succeeding all due to the fact that she is black African American woman, her going to college in general was odd in most people’s eyes at the time “a waste of money” they would say, at least that’s what her brother would say. Another example where Beneatha is degraded is when she’s with her boyfriend George Murchison whom merely just looks at her as arm
She connects stories of different multicultural relationships between a man and a woman, and then continues on to compare the women and men from each story to each other. Social class is also mentioned in the story of Ruth and Boaz. Boaz was very wealthy and Ruth was found in his fields taking food for Naomi and herself. Traditionally, an individual that is born into a family of wealthiness is able to take care of their loved one- which is what Boaz does for Ruth after
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.
Chesnutt, Charles W. “A Matter of Principle.” The Wife of His Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line. NC: U of NC at Chapel Hill Electronic Edition, 1997.
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. ...
James, Johson Weldon. Comp. Henry Louis. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. 832. Print.
In conclusion, the fact that Ruth lived through so much trauma from her father most likely brought out the strength in her heart, and caused her to realize that she wants a good life for her children instead of the trauamtic life that she lived through in her own childhood. Ruth’s overall identity could be explicity explained as a mother who is strong, has a lot of faith in God, and a woman with a lot of value and love for all of her twelve children. Ruth Mcbride’s strength and confidence helps herself through the hardships of her childhood, her relationships with Dennis and Hunter, as well as James Mcbride and the rest of her children. She developed the identity of a strong-willed mother, lover, and a woman of God.
Ruth, whose dreams are the same as Mama’s, get deferred when the family are forced into there small apartment and there lack of money. Since she has no money she can not help her family as much as she would like to.
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 ... ...