God is the color of water. Read more to know some of the unforgettable The Color of Water quotes. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Free trial is available to new customers only. We were all clearly black, of various shades of brown, some light brown, some medium brown, some very light-skinned, and all of us had curly hair. Some of her children worked in the civil rights movement. Your mother was part of this. He was free. Free trial is available to new customers only. You were different from everyone and liked by very few. I want you to come home. And they looked nothing like the other heroes I saw, the guys in the movies, white men like Steve McQueen and Paul Newman who beat the bad guys and in the end got the pretty girlwho, incidentally, was always white., I felt like a Tinkertoy kid building my own self out of one of those toy building sets; for as she laid her life before me, I reassembled the tableau of her words like a picture puzzle, and as I did, so my own life was rebuilt., In running from her past, Mommy has created her own nation, a rainbow coalition., You know death was always around Suffolk, always around. Dont come back. Ill always come to see Mameh.Not if you marry a nigger you wont, he said. Create a book wishlist and and share it with family and friends. Her oddness, her complete nonawareness of what the world thought of her, a nonchalance in the face of what I perceived to be imminent danger from blacks and whites who disliked her for being a white person in a black world. "Sometimes without conscious realization, our thoughts, our faith, out interests are entered into the past. One morning a couple of years later when I was at Oberlin College, I went to my mailbox and found a letter from her telling me that her husband had died suddenly of cancer. I found it odd and amazing when white people treated me that way, as if there were no barriers between us. A penetrating loneliness covered me, lay on me so heavily I had to sit down and cover my face. They didnt have to run for their lives like we did. Silence. An Incredible Outcome In the book The Color of Water by James McBride son shares the troubles he had to go through while he was growing up as he also, shares his shares his mother's obstacles and triumphs. They will surely hang me., I know youre gonna marry a shvartse. They constantly badgered me to do the James Brown for them, a squiggling of the feet made famous by the Godfather of Soul himself, who back in the sixties was bigger than life. Why she did so was not clear, but even my teachers seemed to know she was white and I wasnt. 1, p. 1).This begins Ruth McBride Jordans account of her past, recorded by her son, James McBride. You got enough for a baseball team, he said. She worked at draining, poorly paid jobs. While other people continue to suffer, Ruth finds solace in God. Your mother was part of this, Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs She catches all of her important moments with a camera, waddling down Brooklyns Atlantic Avenue from the A train to Long Island College Hospital to take pictures of my daughter Azures first days of life; standing my toddler son, Jordan, up against a tree in her yard so she can snap a quick picture of him in his Easter outfit. They called you white trash. The question of race was like the power of the moon in my house. Whats a spirit? My best friend Billy Smiths mother was as light as Mommy was and had red hair to boot, but there was no question in my mind that Billys mother was black and my mother was not. The irony was that Mommy knew how to drive before she was eighteen. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. But there was never a better preacher than Christ. She socialized exclusively with black people, and essentially lived the life of a black woman. That's why you have to say all your "sorrys" and "I love yous" while a person is living, because tomorrow isn't promised., See, a marriege needs love. She helped me through college and helped me get into graduate school as well; she didnt pay my way, but if I had an emergency, she would help. She had an iron purpose to protect and raise her children, to be strong and overcome whatever happened. You know a Jew living in Suffolk when I was coming up could be lonely even if there were fifteen of them standing in the room, I dont know why; its that feeling that nobody likes you; thats how I felt, living in the South. I would have preferred that Mommy were black. Its what made the river flow, the ocean swell, and the tide rise, but it was a silent power, intractable, indomitable, indisputable, and thus completely ignorable. Education gives us tools to help us better navigate the world. God is the color of water. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Ruth explains her first ideal marriage to her son James. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. White folks, she felt, were implicitly evil toward blacks, yet she forced us to go to white schools to get the best education. 20% Hes a spirit.Whats a spirit? A spirits a spirit. What color is Gods spirit?It doesnt have a color, she said. Throughout the book James' switches the point of view between him and his mother, Ruth. Its not about black or white., I myself had no idea who I was. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Though Ruth and James' were separated by countless years, the audience . He says here that his own life is inextricably bound up with his mother's; when he rethinks her life, he necessarily rethinks his own. But she had left her past so far behind that she literally did to know how to drive. Ruth's conversion to Christianity coincides with her reinvention of herself from Rachel Shilsky to Ruth McBride. Even though she slammed the door in my face years later, I never felt bitter toward her. Dont come back., Like most of the Jews in Suffolk they treated me very kindly, truly warm and welcoming, as if I were one of them, which in an odd way I suppose I was. She saw none of it. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Race and Racism Quotes in The Color of Water Below you will find the important quotes in The Color of Water related to the theme of Race and Racism. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely ,if even death separates you and me." Thats how I felt as a child. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers . Dont have an account? Ruth Character Analysis 721 Words | 3 Pages "As usual, she was broke, dumping single dollar bills, change, pennies on the counter to pay for the one-way ticket to Ohio. I found it odd and amazing when white people treated me that way, as if there were no barriers between us. Get books for your students and raise funds for your classroom. Thats what counts., since I was a little boy, she had always wanted me to go. Chapter 6 Quotes One afternoon on the way home from church I asked her whether God was black or white. White folks, she felt, were implicitly evil toward blacks, yet she forced us to go to white schools to get the best education. Ironically, its a condition that affects mostly white people. My own humanity was awakened, rising up to greet me with a handshake as I watched the first glimmers of sunlight peek over the horizon. Ruth also deals with anti-black racism in her love life, as she attempts to date and marry black men. You know, the thing was, I was supposed to be white and number one, too. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Neither did I look like the role models in my lifemy stepfather, my godparents, other relativesall of whom were black. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. The fact that he was black and the girl he was marrying was blackwell, that hurt me even more. Purchasing It said that on the deeds and you can look them up. One afternoon on the way home from church I asked her whether God was black or white. I hated him. That started to worry me a little but I didnt worry much. Sometimes we think if we could just go back in time we would be happy. Much of the book occurs during the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement, a time where black Americans were regarded as second-class citizens and policed through a series of racist laws and restrictive social norms. Mommy, after all, did not really look like me. , I was ashamed of my mother, but see, love didn't come natural to me until I became a Christian.- Ruth McBride, The man was the finest preacher. The image of her riding that bicycle typified her whole existence to me. Sometimes without conscious realization, our thoughts, our faith, our interests are entered into the pastWe talk about other times, other places, other persons, and lose our living hold on the present. Religion in The Color of Water provides the protagonists with a framework within which they are able to develop individual identities and organize their morals and values. He's a spirit." "What's a spirit?" "A spirit's a spirit." "What color is God's spirit?" (one code per order). Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Tools to track, assess, and motivate classroom reading. Theyd say forget it. We were all clearly black, of various shades of brown, some light brown, some medium brown, some very light-skinned, and all of us had curly hair. Ruth McBride Jordan was born in Poland to an Orthodox Jewish family that immigrated to the United States when she was two. Ruth said in Ruth 1:16-17, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Ruth's parents had forced Judaism on her, causing her to resent religion. That was a big thing in the South. My siblings had already instilled the notion of black pride in me. My siblings had already instilled the notion of black pride in me. He was kind! Theyd walk away from me if they saw me walking down the road coming toward them, and if they came into the store, they wouldnt even look at me. Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs Active Themes One day, Ruth misses her mother and decides to call home. A spirits a spirit. The image of her riding that bicycle typified her whole existence to me. Neither did I look like the role models in my lifemy stepfather, my godparents, other relativesall of whom were black. That was a big thing in the South. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% She married a black man, Andrew Dennis McBride, and became Ruth McBride. It sounded like Helen. My parents got rid of that name when we came to America and changed it to Rachel Deborah Shilsky, and I got rid of that name when I was nineteen and never used it again after I left Virginia for good in 1941. There were white sections of Suffolk, like the Riverview section, where Jews werent allowed to own property. Neither did I look like the role models in my lifemy stepfather, my godparents, other relativesall of whom were black. Nowadays these mixed couples get on TV every other day complaining, Oh, its hard for us. They have cars and television and homes and theyre complaining. Finally Jack called. The New Brown Memorial Church then also allows James and his siblings to connect to each other, to God, to their mother, and to their deceased father. In fact, she didnt look like Richie, or Davidor any of her children for that matter. Ruth married Andrew Dennis McBride, a black man from North Carolina. It isnt an absolute good in any characters life, but instead a way for them to navigate the world. on 50-99 accounts. The first is Ruth's apparent obliviousness to racesomething that causes James so much psychic distress throughout his youth and much of his adulthood. The boy in the mirror, he didnt seem to have an ache. She saw none of it. I always felt that way about the South, that beneath the smiles and southern hospitality and politeness were a lot of guns and liquor and secrets., There's such a big difference between being dead and alive, I told myself, the greatest gift that anyone can give anyone else is life. He said, If you marry a nigger, dont ever come home again. Ruth resisted her father's prejudices and sympathized with the black people in her town. Dont come back., Like most of the Jews in Suffolk they treated me very kindly, truly warm and welcoming, as if I were one of them, which in an odd way I suppose I was. Welcome back. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Hes a spirit. Does he like black or white people better?He loves all people. A large black eye peered out. She couldnt stand racists of either color (Chpt. She drove the care and trailer on paved and dirt roads between Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and North Carolina. To deny someones right to have a fruitful life can be likened to the act of killing. Weeks passed, months, and Helen didnt return. We have survived her. Nowadays these mixed couples get on TV every other day complaining, Oh, its hard for us. They have cars and television and homes and theyre complaining. For the first time in his life, James feels an affinity with nonrelatives who are technically white, and he appreciates how the Southern Jews of Suffolk seemed to believe that its covenants went beyond the color of ones skin.. Complete your free account to request a guide. Here is her life as she told it to me, and betwixt and between the pages of her life you will find mine as well., Being mixed is like that tingling feeling you have in your nose just before you sneezeyoure waiting for it to happen but it never does. Sometimes it seemed like the truth was a bandy-legged soul who dashed from one side of the world to the other and I could never find him. Go away! Id shout. Hes a spirit. Does he like black or white people better?He loves all people. Yet conflict was a part of our lives, written into our very faces, hands, and arms, and to see how contradiction lived and survived in its essence, we had to look no farther than our own mother. The Color of Water: Top Ten Quotes "You want me to talk about my family and here I been dead to them for fifty years" (Chpt. Its what made the river flow, the ocean swell, and the tide rise, but it was a silent power, intractable, indomitable, indisputable, and thus completely ignorable. She opened the door for me but closed it for herself long ago, and for her to crack it open and peek inside was like eating fire. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. He may walk along old familiar streets and roads, but he is a stranger in a strange land. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. The nature of identity, race and heritage was explored deeply in the book. I kept in touch with her for many years. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. I know youre gonna marry a shvartse. SparkNotes PLUS Water doesnt have a color.. Validate reading with our Dynamic Quiz System. Marrying a white woman was a life-threatening act for an African American man in the 1940s. You can view our. Contact us Ruth explains that a spirit has no color, and God has no color. Instant PDF downloads. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. . I know what it feels like when people laughing at you walking down the street, or snicker when they hear you speaking Yiddish, or just look at you with hate in their eyes. Kiss him. God is the color of water. The Sheffers, Helen Weintraub, the Jaffes, they talked to me in person and by letter in a manner and tone that, in essence, said Dont forget us. Oh boyGods not black. She found love and forgiveness in her husbands church and helped him to found a Baptist church. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Renews May 8, 2023 I told him I didnt want to see him anymore and walked back through the black neighborhood, into the store, and went upstairs and cried my heart out, because I still loved him. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. With whites it was no question. Contact us James, confused about race in general and specifically where he falls on the spectrum, asks his mother if God is black or white, and Does he like black or white people better? His mother explains that God is colorless, and loves people of all colors equally. Id lock myself in the bathroom and spend long hours playing with him. For Ruth and James (in his adulthood), their Christian faith is a guiding light in their lives. In seemingly serial incarnations, she was Ruchel Zylska, Rachel Zylska, Rachel Shilsky, Ruth Shilsky, Ruth McBride . Who is it? someone asked. SparkNotes PLUS You can view our. We have survived her. Different opinions between generations always exist. Researching for his book, he feels a kinship with many of the Jewish people he encounters in Suffolk. It said that on the deeds and you can look them up. "Oh boyGod's not black. She sent them to Jewish schools, and often, like James, they were the only black student in class. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Her children became doctors, professors, chemists, teachers---yet none of us even knew her maiden name until we were grown. Ruths grief at the death of those closest to herher mother, her first husband, Andrew (Dennis), and her second husband, Hunter, almost unhinges her so she cannot function, but she always manages to get up again and carry on. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Ruth tells James that her father, although scrupulously religious, was a brutal, racist man who intimidated his meek, disabled wife and his two childrenespecially Ruth, whom he also abused. Ruth's adult life differed greatly from her life with her family in Suffolk. He's a spirit." "Does he like black or white people better?" "He loves all people. Rachel, or Ruth as she calls herself, fled her Jewish family when she was eighteen to marry a black man, Andrew McBride. Struggling with distance learning? . One afternoon on the way home from church I asked her whether God was black or white. He said, If you marry a nigger, dont ever come home again. For example, Ruth stated that "death was always around Suffolk" (McBride 59). While Ruth always envied her, later in life she realized that Dee-Dee had suffered sorrow and desperation. Ruth McBride Jordans trust in God made her surpass the obstacles in her life. As I walked home, holding Mommys hand while she fumed, I thought it would be easier if we were just one color, black or white. It also serves as a way for them to relate to each other, their community, and the late Andrew McBride. She saw none of it., She wipes her memory instantly and with purpose; its a way of preserving herself., The question of race was like the power of the moon in my house. Youre white, and even if youre a Jew, since youre white youre better than a so-called colored. She wipes her memory instantly and with purpose; its a way of preserving herself (Chpt. Jamess older siblings are invested in the Black Power Movement, many having their own private revolutions, some even going so far as to paint local statues in the red, green, and black of Black liberation. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. By a week. And the greatest sin a person can do to another is to take away that life. It is our greatest weapon, a natural force, created by God. And good! A nigger and you? Well, I didnt feel number one with nobody but him, and I didnt give a hoot that he was black. With whites it was no question. Ruth describes her childhood as a poor Jewish immigrant in the United States. On open school nights, the question most often asked by my schoolteachers was: Is James adopted? which always prompted an outraged response from Mommy. They were trying hard to be American, you know, not knowing what to keep and what to leave behind. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Youre making a mistake. That stopped me cold, because I didnt know how he learned it. If Im here and youre me, how can you be there at the same time? Id ask. Her first relationship with a boy named Peter ends with an abortion, because she knows she cannot marry him and the town will not accept them (and Peter could even be killed if their relationship was made public). Rachel Deborah Shilsky could drive a car and pull a trailer behind it, but Ruth McBride Jordan had never touched a steering wheel before that day in 1973, and you can make book on it. All men are equal and focus on your own improvement. It was in my blood, you might say, and however the notion got there, it bothered me greatly. As a child James doesnt understand his mothers faith, but knows secondhand that the Church and God make her happy, in a way nothing else in her life seems to. character, Youre white, and even if youre a Jew, since youre white youre better than a so-called colored. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! She told Ma she didnt know much about the lady other than that she wore a lot of scarves and used incense. Sometimes we think if we could just go back in time we would be happy. She couldnt stand racists of either color., Mommy staggered about in an emotional stupor for nearly a year. Hurry up! Then after a while, my period was late.
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