CONGRATULATIONS: You have an opportunity to pass this summer
school class. In order to insure a
passing grade, you must complete:
1. ALL classwork from now on AND
2. complete the project AND
3. take a separate test on the
book AND
4. take the regular FINAL EXAM
THE PROJECT:
Read: The Color of Water by James McBride (you may have to go to the
library to get the book).
Answer: The chapter questions below
Due date: August 6, 2014
The Color of
Water: Reading Guide
Chapter
1 Dead
1. Why does Ruth say she’s dead? 1
2. Why did Rachel Shilsky have to die? 2
3. Why doesn’t Ruth like the Jewish religion?
2
4. What was
Ruth’s father like? 3
5. What was her mother like? 3
Chapter
2 Bicycle
1. What two hobbies did Ruth take up when
James was fourteen? 5
2. What was James’ stepfather like? 6
3. How did James react to and deal with his
stepfather’s death?
4. How did Ruth deal with her husband’s
death? 7
5. How does James describe his mother’s
physical appearance? 7
6. Why does James say whites and blacks hate
his mother? 8
7. Why doesn’t James want his mother to ride
the bike?
8. What does James begin to notice about his
mother? 12
Chapter
3 Kosher
1. Why does Ruth say her father married her
mother? 15
2. What would Ruth’s father threaten her
with? 16
3. How did the Russians treat the Jews? 16
4. What activities were not allowed on the
Sabbath? 17
5. Why was Ruth so confused about death? 18
6. What does Ruth fear about death? 19
Chapter
4 Black
Power
1.
How does James learn about his
mother? 21-22
2.
How did James and his siblings deal
with the “realities we had no control over?” 22
3.
Why may Ruth have gotten upset when
the teachers would ask her if her children were adopted? 23
4. Why may James’ teachers have asked Ruth if
James was adopted?
5. Why do you think Ruth avoids talking about
her past with her children? 24-25
6. Why did James fear for his mother’s
safety? 25
7. How did the media affect James’ perception
of the Black Panthers? 27
8. Why do you think Ruth was so adamant about
her children staying at home and keeping their business private? 27
9. According to James, what is the immigrant
mentality? 29
10.
What did James’ parents believe was the
way out of poverty? 29
11.
Do you agree with the above? Explain.
12. Why is it a contradiction that his mother
sends him to white schools?
13.
Where does James’ mother like to hang
out? 31
14. How was Ruth treated by white people?
15. How
was Ruth treated by black people?
16.
Why is James so afraid of the Black
Panthers? 36
17.
Why did James sock the boy? 36
18.
Who is more violent, James or the Black
Panther? Explain your answer.
Chapter
5 The Old
Testament
1. What did Ruth’s father do for a living? 37
2. Why did Ruth’s family move so much? 37
3. Why does Ruth say people noticed her? 38
4. Why didn’t
Ruth’s mom want to move to Suffolk? 39
5. Why did the Jews get mad at Ruth’s father?
40
6. How did Tateh treat his wife? 41
7. What did Ruth’s father do to her? 42-43
Chapter
6 The New
Testament
1. To what does James compare his mother’s
singing? 45
2. What can you infer about the Reverend’s
education based on the trouble he has with reading? 47
3. What two similes does the author use while
explaining the Reverend’s sermons? 47
4. What doesn’t mom like to hear about in a
sermon? 48
5. Why do you think James’ mother only
cries in church? 50
6. Why does James think his mother
cries? 50
7. Why does mom say God is the color of
water? 51
8. Why do you think Richie gets so mad at the
white picture of Jesus? 52
Chapter
7 Sam
9. How does Mameh react to the sailors? 57
10.
Why do you think she reacts this way? 58
11.
Why was Ruth’s family uneasy in Suffolk? 59
12.
What is ironic about Tateh’s worries that he will be robbed by his black
customers? 59
13.
Why is Ruth afraid of guns? 60
14.
What were living conditions like back then according to Ruth? 60
15.
What phrase does she use to describe black people’s lives in the south? 61
16.
According to Ruth, what made the black folks happy where she lived? 61
17.
Why do you think her dad hated black people so much? 61
18.
What was the only thing that made Sam smile? 63
19.
What happened to Sam? 63
20.
What was her aunt’s response when she asked for help? 63
Chapter
8 Brothers
and Sisters
21.
What did the kids eat for dinner? 67
22.
What is mom’s top priority? 70
23.
Why did Helen quit school? 73
24.
Was it fair of mom to lay the responsibility of making Helen stay on top of the
kids?
25.
Why do you think Helen ran away and refused to come home?
Chapter
9 Shul
26.
How was Ruth/Rachel treated by the other kids in Suffolk? 80
27.
Why didn’t Ruth/Rachel have any Jewish friends in Suffolk? 81
28.
How did Frances and her family treat Rachel? 81
29.
How does mom say being poor was different back then as compared to nowadays? 82
30.
What were some of the things people ate back then? 83
31.
In what way was Ruth starving when she was a child? 83
Chapter
10 School
1. What do we find out about their education?
87
2. How does James react to the racism directed
at him? 90
3. What does James use to escape? 90
4. How is the boy in the mirror different
from James? 91
5. What is mom’s bean story about? 93
6. What does Mom do to keep the kids busy?
7. Why do you think his mom ignored the
outside world when they would go out? 100
8. Why doesn’t James want to go places with
his mother anymore? 100
9. How does the store owner react to James’
mother? 102
10.
How does James’ interest in
independence backfire? 103
11.
Do you think Ruth overreacted? 103
12.
How has growing up in a dual-race
household affected James as an adult? 104
13.
What does the statement “I belong to
the world of one God, one people,” tell you about
James’ views on race and identity now?
104
Chapter
11 Boys
1. Why did Ruth fall in love with a black
man? 107
2. What would they do to interracial couples
back then according to Ruth? 107
3. Why do you think Tateh spent his family
time slaughtering chickens? 108
4. Why won’t
Tateh buy his children new clothes? 109
5. What does Ruth say she loves about “black
folks”? 109
6. How did Peter win Ruth over? 110
7. What did Peter risk in dating Ruth? 110
8. What does Ruth say about the South? 111
9. Why won’t Ruth eat crab?111
10.
Who knows Ruth is pregnant? 114
11.
Why do you think mom wants her to go to
New York?
Chapter
12 Daddy
1. What does Hunter do for a living? 118
2. Who does James know as his father? 118
3. What is the irony of Hunter spending his
life savings on the house? 119
4. Why didn’t Hunter live at the St. Alban’s
house? 119
5. How do the stepfather and mom’s priorities
match? 124
6. What happened with the brownstone? 125
7. Why do you think James avoided visiting
him? 126
8. How does “Daddy” mention race? 127
9. Why doesn’t James tell his stepfather how
he feels about him? 127
Chapter
13 New York
1. How does her extended family treat Ruth?
130
2. What does Ruth say she loves about NY? 130
3. How does Aunt Mary treat her? 133
4. What did she do about the pregnancy? 134
5. What was most important to Mameh’s
sisters? 135
6. How does her family deal with their
feelings?
7. Explain the metaphor “If you throw water
on the floor it will find a hole.” 135
Chapter
14 Chicken
Man
1. What is James’ reaction to his mother’s
piano playing? 138
2. How does James take advantage of this
situation? 138
3. Why does he want to get away from his mom?
138
4. What does mom do with all her money? 141
5. How does James earn money? 141
6. How does James deal with his pain? 142
7. How is he like his Jewish aunts (in the
way he deals with his pain)? 142
8. Why does James like the corner? 147
9. Why does Jack send James to the corner?
10.
What is the lesson of Chicken Man’s
death?
Chapter
15 Graduation
1. How was the school in New York different
than the one in Suffolk? 153
2. Why did Ruth go back to Suffolk? 153
3. What does she find out about Peter? 154
4. How does she react to the news about
Peter? 154
5. Why does she go to her graduation? 155
6. Why didn’t her parents go to graduation?
157
7. Why doesn’t
Ruth enter the church?
Chapter
16 Driving
1. What
turns James around? 161
2. Why does James continue to smoke pot? 163
3. Why is mom always on the go? 164
4. What keeps his mom going (from going
insane)? 165
5. What does the driving incident tell us
about Ruth?
Chapter
17 Lost in
Harlem
1. Why was Ruth afraid of Uncle Isaac? 170
2. What was Aunt Mary up to? 170
3. How does she describe Andrew McBride? 171
4. Why won’t they give her a job in Harlem?
172
5. Why does Ruth say she went out with Rocky?
174
6. What are
Rocky’s plans for Ruth? 175
7. Who steered Ruth away from Rocky? 176
Chapter
18 Lost
in Delaware
1. Why does mom want
to move? 177
2. Why does James
think it’s best he move? 177
3. Why don’t his
younger siblings want to move? 178
4. Why do the older
brothers say they should move? 178
5. Why are they lost in
Delaware? 180
6. Why does mom hate
Delaware? 181
7. What does mom feel
guilty about? 182
8. Why has James
become a butler? 184
9. How does he feel
about this?
10. Why do you think she
pushes her children away?
11. Why do you think mom
hides her emotions from her kids?
Chapter
19 The
Promise
1. Why didn’t Ruth want James to be a
musician? 194
2. How do people react to seeing Dennis and
Ruth together? 195
3. Why doesn’t
Dennis marry Ruth? 196
4. Why did Ruth go back home? 197
5. What is her dad up to? 198
6. Why did the parents get a divorce? 200
7. What is the promise and what do we find
out about it? 201
Chapter
20 Old Man
Shilsky
1. Why did he quit his job and the Boston
Globe? 204
2. What other reasons did he feel he had to
leave Boston? (not related to work) 204
3. Why, do you think, does his mother refuses
to talk about her past? 206
4. Why, do you think, is the old man laughing
so hard at James? 207
5. How does Eddie describe Shilsky? 209
6. How does Eddie describe Rachel?
Chapter
21 A Bird
Who Flies
1. How do Mameh’s sisters tell her Bubeh had
died?
2. What is your reaction to the way they
broke the news?
3. Why do you think Ruth hears her mom’s
crying in her head?
4. Why can’t
Ruth stay in Suffolk?
5. What do you think Ruth should do?
6. Do you think Ruth should feel guilty about
leaving her mom? Y/N Why?
7. How do you think her life would have been
different had she stayed?
8. Who is the “Bird Who Flies?”
Chapter
22 A Jew Discovered
1. Why doesn’t James track Dee Dee down?
2. How was James treated the first time he
asked to see the synagogue?
3. How did the Jewish people in Suffolk treat
James?
4. Why do you think it was for the best that
he wasn’t raised Jewish?
5. Why didn’t James play Aubrey’s greeting to
his mother?
6. Do you agree with James’ statement near
the end of the chapter about life?
Chapter
23 Dennis
1. What were some of the hardships Ruth and
Dennis faced being a couple?
2. Why did they finally get married?
3. Why can’t Ruth go south with Dennis?
4. Why was their wedding a secret?
5. How did Dennis change?
6. Do you think Ruth should have taken the
kids to see Dennis? Explain.
7. How did the community respond to Dennis’
death?
8. Do you think Ruth’s family should have
helped her out? Why or why not?
9. Who was Ruth’s “family” through her
hardships?
Chapter
24 New
Brown
1.
Do you agree with Dennis’ statement?
250
2.
What do we find out Dennis hid from
Ruth? 251
3.
Why doesn’t Ruth want to come to the
40th anniversary dinner for the church? 252
4.
To what does he compare his mother’s
memory? 253
5.
Based on what James says, why didn’t
Ruth tell her children about her childhood? 253
Chapter
25 Finding
Ruthie
1. Why does Ruth bring up the subject of her
burial/death? 260
2. What incident has made Ruth begin to think
about her death? 261
3. How does James deal with the color
boundary? 262
4. How does James view his white female
editors? 263
5. What does James consider growing up privileged?
264
6. Why doesn’t Ruth encourage James to work
in the music business? 266
7. What affect does talking about her past
have on Ruth? 269
8. To what two things does James compare
himself? 270
9. How has Ruth stayed the same? How have her
children changed? 271
10.
How does Ruth act when she goes to
visit Frances? 274
Epilogue
1. What does he mean “he didn’t wear it on
his sleeve”? 280
2. Why does James think his mom won’t go to
the wedding? 281
3. How are the women in the McBride-Jordan
Clan described? 282
4. What is your interpretation of the ending?
285
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