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The Color Of Water Identity Essay

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“The Color of Water” by James McBride, elucidates his pursuit for his identity and self-questioning that derives from his biracial family. McBride’s white mother Ruth as a Jewish seek to find love outside of her house because of her disparaging childhood. The love and warmth that she always longed from her family, was finally founded in the African American community, where she made her large family of twelve kids with the two men who she married. James was able to define his identity through the truth of his mother’s suffer and sacrifices that she left behind in order to create a better life for her children and herself. As a boy, James was always in a dubiety of his unique family and the confusion of his color which was differ than …show more content…

James McBride demonstrates that one can learn about his own identity through others opinions of him in his society. Generally, youngsters often do not care about each other’s races unless someone wants the kids to distinct between the two races. At an early age, James realized that his race has something to do with his Identity. He noticed that both black and white people glare at his white mom and her black kids with an obscene expression on their face, letting James know that his family is different than other families which the society considered more acceptable than his family. James started to compare his skin tone with his mother’s skin tone and noticed that she was white however he was black. “When I asked her if she was white, she’d say, “No. I’m light skinned,” and change the subject again.” (Ch.4, pg.15) Ruth’s changing the topic of racial issues caused even more perplexity and insecurities within James. Because of his uncertainty, it was very difficult for James to decide how he fits into his conservative society. Also, in his community it was only the McBride siblings who seemed to come from the interracial family which made them partially feel like

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James McBride is the son of Ruth McBride,and he tells the story of how he struggled to find out his racial identity through his Mom who wouldn’t tell him. James is a 15 year old boy and I’d say that his health is going pretty bad since he smokes and drinks. James was born in Brooklyn, New York to Dennis and Ruth McBride, his father deceased before he was born. His mother later married a man names Hunter Jordan and they added 4 for kids to the 8 she already had.

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The first words that came out of Rubenstein’s mouth was that he was surprised to see James sitting in his off. They continue to talk and Rubenstein says there aren’t many Jewish Families left because they all has something to deal with, or most of them just moved away. For example, “The older ones died, the younger ones left” (McBride 225). James is learning that it’s not an easy place for Jewish people to live. The ones that

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In chapter 22 of The Color of Water, James Mcbride is wanting to see inside of the synagogue because of his family history. James is interested on his family history because he is writing a book about it. “My family has a history there, because there's a part of me, whether I, or those that run the synagogue, like it or not” (221). James does not know much about his history and is trying to get to know himself and understand himself more as well. He wanted to know the truth.

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The theory being applied to James McBride’s family is Sigmund Freud’s Psychodynamic theory. This theory is based on the grounds of the importance of early childhood experiences that shape personality and behavior (Lifespan). Applying this theory to James’ family we can begin by looking at the time period in which the children grew up. The family grew up in a time where black and whites did not marry and it was unacceptable for them to be together. This caused some of the family members to develop a defense mechanism.

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The story The Color of Water is a memoir by a young boy who lives with his 11 black siblings and his white mother. The book was written by James McBride later in his life after he had been successfully raised by his mother Ruth, despite the fact she was the only white person he knew. James credits Ruth with molding him into the excellent man he grew up to be, in his early years he viewed her as unable to understand him but in reality she was trying to do the best she could for him. Thought the memoir James slowly transitions into a stellar young man who takes advantage of the opportunities life hands him. James biological father had died when he was young and therefore James did not have a strong memory of him.

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