ipl-logo

The Color Of Water Character Analysis

927 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism used in Lord of the flies

James McBride in the Color of Water and William Golding in The Lord of the Flies use the the techniques of societal conflict and character development to convey to readers that adversity helps one grow. Throughout both novels, main characters grow through adversity found in the form of societal conflict. James McBride in The Color of Water, born to a Jewish mother and an African-American father, struggles to find a place in society. He cannot fit in with positive peers on either side, and thus chooses to live an unhealthy life. One summer while in Louisville, Kentucky, he associates himself with many unhealthy role models, neglecting his academic and musical talent. However, when he threatens to shoot someone, an old drunk known as “Chicken …show more content…

By not trying to stay in school to advance his knowledge, James is only hindering himself. Even more as a result, there is more societal pressure put on James, making him have to respond. Because of that reason, James works even harder to try to find a place for himself in society.Through the adversity posed by those actually on the streets, James realizes that he does not want to pursue a path that will lead back to Chicken Man. Thus, he grows through this societal conflict, later finding out that he can fit into society by staying true to who he is. Jack Merridew in The Lord of the Flies finds out that Ralph’s society rejects him. He then goes on to form his own tribe, where he dictates the rules. “Jack planned his new face. He made one cheek and one eye socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half....He looked in astonishment, no longer at himself but at an awesome stranger” (Golding 63). Inside his own tribe, Jack does not have to adhere to the rules of Ralph’s society, allowing himself to grow as a person and find who he truly is. As he remakes himself, he physically changes his appearance so that he can be the character that he wants. Jack feels resentment towards a society with order, and as a result, he chooses to create a society with almost no

Show More
Related

Ralph Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

627 Words | 3 Pages

These boys, Jack and Ralph, both fight for dominance during this novel, whilst grappling with their egos and desires. Ralph is the superior leader in, “Lord of the Flies,” due to his prioritizing the group’s welfare and emphasizing reason over primal instinct. Ralph's leadership prioritizes the group's welfare, he says “We've got to have special people for looking after the fire. Any day there may be a ship out there... ”(Golding 33)

Read More

Defining Moments In Lord Of The Flies Quote Analysis

254 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, because of three defining moments, Jack changed the most out of all the boys. The first of the moments that changed him occurred in the beginning of the novel on page 23 when Ralph was chosen to be the chief of the boys instead of Jack. Jack was upset at not being chief, but he still took a position of leadership by making the choir boys the hunters and volunteering to be in charge of them. Ralph says “Jack’s in charge of the choir. They can be-what do you want them to be?’’

Read More

Symbolism In Mcbride's The Color Of Water

525 Words | 3 Pages

As one can see he was pretty unstable for a twelve year back then to deal with a family death. In addition, another way James took his father 's death was by protecting his mother from the outside world. She was the white woman living in a black world and no one was comfortable with that fact. Because of his father’s death there was no one to protect her and he always stayed there watching her replacing his father 's position “ I thought black power would be the end of my mother. ”(McBride 26) because James clearly realized that black and whites never got along and his mom was in both, so it put her in danger.

Read More

Mcbride's Childhood In The Color Of Water

676 Words | 3 Pages

James loved it in Louisville because of all the freedom. James liked hanging with “Big Richard”, which was Jack’s husband. During his time in Louisville, James spent most of his time with Big Richard, and Chicken Man at “the corner”. Out of everyone on “the corner” Chicken Man was the brightest. Chicken Man saw something in James that nobody else did.

Read More

Comparing Lord Of The Flies And The Finest Hours, By Craig Gillespie

1502 Words | 7 Pages

In Lord of the Flies, there are two distinct roles played by the main leaders of the island, Ralph and Jack. Ralph personifies civilization while Jack personifies savagery. This is because Ralph is very orderly and only wants to be rescued while Jack believes it is necessary to hunt and kill. Jack is more bloodthirsty and fails to follow Ralph’s rules as he has different opinions about the priorities. Jack questions

Read More

Essay: The Color Of Water By James Mcbride

643 Words | 3 Pages

The absence of his biological father added to the yearn to know his roots, where he came from and who he was, as he became older. James struggled with identity for a great deal of his life after his stepfather, who seemed to be the emotional stability for the family, died. James was supposed to take care of the family after his stepfather died, but instead he dropped out of school, ran the streets, and picked up a bad habit of his stepfather’s- drinking. You would think that because James had good influences in his life that he would immediately take on that role after being taught, but James fell apart and had to learn to become a man on his own. Eventually, James found himself and began to transform into the man his fathers had taught him to

Read More

Narrative Essay On Brownsville's Life On The Street

786 Words | 4 Pages

James decided to enroll in the college of New Rochelle SNR the in-Brooklyn Campus. This school allowed him to get a GED and college credits at the same time. After two years, he moved out of his stepfather’s house in Brownsville and got a 1 bedroom apartment of his own in a Brownstone house. He decides he didn’t want to live in an apartment building anymore and didn’t want to hang out with the same crowd. He now understood what his mom Carolyn tried to teach him was true.

Read More

Symbolism In The Color Of Water

227 Words | 1 Pages

In the story “Color Of Water” Ruth and james both change when Hunter died. James became the opposite of what he was. He began to snatch purses and he would smoke as much as he could with his friends. “ Which we smoked in as much quantity as possible. I snatched purses” (McBride 9).

Read More

Theme Of Guidance In The Color Of Water

512 Words | 3 Pages

Adolescents Requires Adult Guidance In the books The Color of Water, by James McBride, and the Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, the theme ‘adolescents requires adult guidance’ is displayed by using characterization and through conflict.

Read More

Civilization Vs Savagery In Lord Of The Flies Essay

870 Words | 4 Pages

Jack says that he is unwilling to be a part of Ralph’s group any longer. This goes to show that he has left the civilized part of him behind in favor of his savage side. If Jack had stayed with the civilized boys, then the two groups would still be as one and the conflict between the Jack and Ralph would not have reached the high peaking point of which it

Read More

Ralph Lord Of The Flies Identity Essay

843 Words | 4 Pages

As the power struggle between them intensifies, Ralph becomes increasingly drawn to the thrill and excitement of hunting and the abandonment of societal norms. However, he soon realizes that what he is following is not morally right, which strengthens his character. Ralph joins Jack’s tribe in a violent chant momentarily caught up in the excitement of the hunt and losing touch with his morals. There is no hiding that Jack has chaotic and savage tendencies, representing the darker aspects of human nature. Ralph notices this and it serves as a reminder to him to not drift away from his leadership style of civilization and authority.

Read More

Jack Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis

818 Words | 4 Pages

Jack has changed greatly, over the course of William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies. Crashing onto an island without adults and having to survive put a strain on all of the boys, but Jack’s personality altered the most due to this experience. He went from living as an ambitious choir boy, to being a vicious, brutal, beast. Many things changed Jack on the island, but most of all, he created the monster he became.

Read More

Civilizations In Lord Of The Flies Persuasive Essay

665 Words | 3 Pages

Jack’s aggressiveness leads him to form his own tribe, which later goes after their old tribe leader, Ralph, in an attempt to kill him-- the final step that turns civilization into

Read More

Lord Of The Flies Human Nature

1057 Words | 5 Pages

Jack proposes that he forms his own tribe.. Within this rebel tribe he suggests that they act only as savages. The temptation to hunt won many of the boys over in favor of orderly society as suggested by Ralph. The two groups of boys reach the culmination of the conflict when logic battles savagery; “ ‘Which is

Read More

Lord Of The Flies Essay On Human Nature

1096 Words | 5 Pages

Although Jack already has a tribe, he is still not satisfied and wants to destroy the civilization Ralph has created. Jack reveals he is a master of disguise and will gain the trust of Ralph’s tribe by having a feast before transforming them into savages. Now that the boys on the island are hunting Ralph, Samneric warn Ralph about Jack’s upcoming danger: “’ They’re going to hunt you tomorrow… I dunno. And Ralph, Jack, the chief, says it’ll be dangerous-“’ (Golding 188). Jack instills a profound amount of fear in the boys that they refer to him as chief, even though they know Ralph is better suitable as chief.

Read More

More about The Color Of Water Character Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document