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The Theme Of Secrets In The Color Of Water By James Mcbride

710 Words3 Pages

Individuals sometimes keep hurtful, embarrassing situations and memories as secrets from their loved ones for their own protection. In the book titled “ The Color of Water.” James McBride writes his life story as well as a tribute to the life of his white Jewish mother. In the story, there are many secrets that exist and the burden of them tears people and relationships apart. The theme of the burden of secrets is displayed throughout the novel in Ruth’s inability to openly discuss her past to anyone because she is hurt and wants to protect her family. There were many secrets in this book for instance Ruth’s sexual abuse by her father, when Ruth became pregnant by Peter in Suffolk, Virginia and of Ruth’s racist father all were very sad memories that she did not want to tell anyone about. She kept those secrets from her family for a very long time till her son James finally …show more content…

Ruth lived a very sad life with her father, she admire the Black folks they were poor but they appeared happy. Ruth states, “If there was one thing Tateh didn’t like more than gentiles, it was black folks”(McBride 107). Tateh hated black folks so much that after Ruth married Dennis James’ father a black man, he disowned her. Keeping that a secret was better off for her kids but James wanted to know where was his mother from, who was her family, so James went to Suffolk, Virginia where his mother was raised. To find out that his grandfather was a racist, horrible person. No one could believe that he was Tateh’s grandchild because he was black. Ruth keeping her racist father a secret from her children was best for

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"The Color Of Water" is a memoir, written by James McBride about a biracial man, his white Jewish mother, their family, and their struggle from the early 1900s till the mid 1900s. The main characters in the memoir are the author and his mother; they tell their stories and alternate chapters throughout the memoir. the memoir begins with the author's mother explaining her earliest memories of her parents, the details of their marriage, and their coming to America. James's life was a chaotic mess, the only order in his life came from his stepfather, who was named hunter, Hunter was a strong good natured man who was the only father figure James had ever known.

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