The Color of Water
The Color of Water
Introductory Note
1. What framework does the author give the story? * The author gives the story from two different perspectives one from the mother’s perspective, Ruth, and the other from the son’s perspective, James. 2. What is the ethnic background of the author? * The ethnic background of the author is Caucasian and African-American.
Chapter 1: Dead
1. Why is this chapter written in italics? * This chapter was written in Italics because it was written from a different point of view which was Ruth’s perspective who talks about her past as a child. 2. Why is the mother reluctant to talk about her family? * Ruth is reluctant to talk about her family because she felt that was the past and she just didn’t feel like opening up about something she felt “dead” about. 3. What do we learn about the mother’s birth? * What we learn about Ruth’s birth was that she was born as an Orthodox Jew on April first, during the Holocaust. 4. What was her name? * Ruth’s original birth name was Rachel Dwajra Zylska. 5. Does she use the name of Rachel as an adult? * Rachel doesn’t decide to use “Rachel” as her name. She decides to rename herself as “Ruth”. 6. Why might Rachel’s family have mourned her when she married? * Rachel’s family mourned her when she married, because back then a Jewish woman was expected to marry another Jewish man. Also, Rachel’s father was very racist and prejudice against African-Americans. Yet she ended up marrying one. 7. How does she describe her father? * Rachel describes her father, Fishel Shilsky, as a very “macho” man. As in no one used to mess with him since he used to be in a Russian army but ended up escaping and married Rachel’s mother. 8. How does she describe her mother? * Rachel describes her mother, Hudis, as exactly opposite of her father. She was very pretty, sweet, polite, caring person.
Chapter 2: The Bicycle
1. Why is the
Introductory Note
1. What framework does the author give the story? * The author gives the story from two different perspectives one from the mother’s perspective, Ruth, and the other from the son’s perspective, James. 2. What is the ethnic background of the author? * The ethnic background of the author is Caucasian and African-American.
Chapter 1: Dead
1. Why is this chapter written in italics? * This chapter was written in Italics because it was written from a different point of view which was Ruth’s perspective who talks about her past as a child. 2. Why is the mother reluctant to talk about her family? * Ruth is reluctant to talk about her family because she felt that was the past and she just didn’t feel like opening up about something she felt “dead” about. 3. What do we learn about the mother’s birth? * What we learn about Ruth’s birth was that she was born as an Orthodox Jew on April first, during the Holocaust. 4. What was her name? * Ruth’s original birth name was Rachel Dwajra Zylska. 5. Does she use the name of Rachel as an adult? * Rachel doesn’t decide to use “Rachel” as her name. She decides to rename herself as “Ruth”. 6. Why might Rachel’s family have mourned her when she married? * Rachel’s family mourned her when she married, because back then a Jewish woman was expected to marry another Jewish man. Also, Rachel’s father was very racist and prejudice against African-Americans. Yet she ended up marrying one. 7. How does she describe her father? * Rachel describes her father, Fishel Shilsky, as a very “macho” man. As in no one used to mess with him since he used to be in a Russian army but ended up escaping and married Rachel’s mother. 8. How does she describe her mother? * Rachel describes her mother, Hudis, as exactly opposite of her father. She was very pretty, sweet, polite, caring person.
Chapter 2: The Bicycle
1. Why is the