The Color of Water

Despite the fact that Ruth seeks to bury her Jewish heritage, how and why does it emerge as a cultural force in her adult life, particularly with respect to how she raises her children?

Examine the book’s title. What is the importance of the quote from which the title comes? What does it mean to James with respect to the book’s themes?

What are some of the racial, religious, and generational divides James explores in the book? Pick three and discuss how each relates to James’s journey of self-discovery.

How important is education in lifting the McBride-Jordan children out of poverty? Does it also have some limitations? How does Ruth’s immigrant mentality that prioritizes education over all else create problems for her or her children?

In what ways does James depict privilege as layered and nuanced? Discuss this point with respect to race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, and age.

Discuss Ruth’s lack of acknowledgment of race. What are its drawbacks? In what ways does it serve her children well? How does it exacerbate James’s confusion over his racial identity?

Why does Ruth believe that Jews are not white? To what degree is this belief self-serving, and how much of it stems from her experience as a Jewish woman in the US?

What does James mean when he says that his Black colleagues’ “claims of growing up poor were without merit in my mind” (264)? How does this relate to the differences between the experiences of young Black men who grew up before the War on Drugs versus those who did not?