Summary: The Color Of Water By James Mcbride

Lyla Imes Ms. Monroe Honors Composition I 9 April 2024 title As world famous runner, former navy seal and author, David Goggins, said “You have to be willing to go to war with yourself and create a whole new identity”. In the novel, The Color of Water by James McBride, tells the childhood experiences of James McBride and his mother, Ruth. They both went through very difficult childhoods and learned how to deal and find themselves through their challenging situations. When determining how James McBride developed his identity, consider how he acted in situations including, his race, education, and throughout his relationships. Throughout the novel, James has trouble accepting his identity through his race. James reflects that he was the “son of a black man and a white woman”

James was struggling to understand who he even was, at one point he even said, “All of my siblings, myself included, had some sort of color confusion at one time or another.”(52). This shows how not only James, but also his siblings struggle with their identity. James began to question his racial background and how to accept himself. Because James was living in “two worlds”, it made it difficult for him to be accepted in either world, and while James’ siblings also felt the same pressure of living in “two worlds” they chose to embrace the “black power” they held. However, James struggled to follow the lead of his siblings in embracing their race and this caused him to continue to question his place in not only his family, but also society. James navigates through finding his identity through his experiences, through his education. James’ school was a school that was primarily for white students. James was one of the only interracial students which resulted in James being very self conscious and insecure of his presence in his