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After finishing the novel the color of water by James McBride, one of my take away was realizing a mothers love is unconditional, the struggles and pain a mother embraces for her children to have a greater life, then the one they lived. Wanting only the best and providing the best way they can. There can never be another woman that can take a mothers place, I think the James McBride in forces this message somewhat. Throughout the book we see everything the mother does with a purpose. Overall this book made me feel more appreciated of my mom.

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The force that is motivation for the character James is his desire and will to learn about the past of his mothers family. Searching for his mothers old synagogue to find clues and leads to find out more about the past, while also searching for his mothers sister a Dee-Dee, upon being able to find her he decides to not, not wanting to cause he more pain.

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James is searching for answers of his mothers past, having a desire to find his mother's relatives. He finds him self in Virginia, " Old Man Shill My granfather I didn't know what to call him. Nethier one sounded right, What was shilkey like.

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One of the main events in the section of the book is James trying to learn more of his mothers past, hoping to achieve peace with him self. One way I can relate with James is wanting to learn more of my parents past, I often find myself asking questions when in a deep conversation with my parents. The only difference I have with James is that his mother is very closed of her past not want her children to learn were she comes from or her family, while my parents are open about sharing their childhood and then many memories they made while young.

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We can see how different classes are repented, Jame comes from a low income household not having money to pay for school and college, they receive scholarships from rich white folks who want to help students into getting a education. Jame has to work for them cleaning their garden and doing other things, but yet James doesn't dislike them, for they have helped him get back on track.James stopped smoking and drinking, the music program has helped him for the better. He's grateful for what he has.

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James is thankful for the music program and the people who are supported by paying for the cost. We see how he never holds anger towards them. When James was hanging out with a group of black students he revives a letter, "I went to my mailbox and found a letter from her telling me that her husband had died suddenly from cancer... While inside my pocket was the fold letter holding the heartbroken words of an old white lady who has gone out of her way to help me and many others".(McBride 187) Jame was different towards them, he felt like he owed them something, he knew that the truth was they really did help him.

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When reading the book we learn the family decides to move to Delaware, James and his mother search for good schools, James tries to get in by taking a test, he passes but wasn't accepted. He goes to an all black school where everything was old and not so great, while the white schools had better and newer things. Most of the city was racial divided, most of the black kids understaffed and underfunded schools. James and his mother weren't used to segregated schools.

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One experience I share with James is how he revived help to become better, and feeling like he owes them something and is grateful. I have to share the same feeling when someone helps me succeed and quit bad behavior, just like James when he quit smoking and drinking to better him self and the people around him.

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1)Some recurring patterns in the book are about religion, we learn how the mother was Jewish and then became Christensen

2)One gap I would have liked the author to fill is what made he sister leave and not what to come back, was the love of her family not big enough.

3) The authors effect in his dialogue is great, he shares important details the he later explains more, with greater feelings.

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1) Some recurring patterns we see when reading the book is how the son James views his race and how confused he is. Not talking about civil right movement of black people, has made him believe the black panthers are evil and will go after his mother.

2) One gap I would like to be more informed of is James father, how did he die, how did his mother and father met.

3) Some recurring patterns we see are how the author mentions a lot about race, when reading from the perspective of the mother and son.

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In the chapter The New Testament, James mother takes all her kids to church, as they sing we see James mother cry. James asks why she cries and she replies because shes happy, "Mommy"s tear seemed to come from somewhere else, a place far away, a place inside her that she never let any of us children visit, and even as a boy I felt there was pain behind them"(pg 50) This quote stands out to me because she hold all her pain from now and her childhood, trying to be strong as the only parent, her pain and sadness is go deep her pain can be seen through her tears.

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Race/Ethnicity

The color of water, race had a big impact on James, being in an all black neighborhood, his mothers whiteness stood out. Always asking him self if she is safe in a black neighborhood when civil rights and the black panthers were around. James not knowing about the black panther he fears they would harm his mother if they ever saw her.

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One experience I share with the character is when he was dropped off by the school bus and couldn't find his mother to walk his home, he felt fear. When I was in 4th grade my mom was 22 minutes late to pick me up, I remember feeling scared and worried. One way my family is different is we don't live in a government housing project, in the book they are black and often low income. One way I am different from James in the book is that I only have a few siblings and one father, while in the book he has 12 siblings and has 2 fathers. One thing I learned about the character James that I haven't experienced is having two parents of a different race.

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In the Charterer Bother and Sister we see how the family lives, most of the time they don't have food and depend on the mother to bring food from work or free food provided by the government. Being the only parent and having to provide for 12 kids she hardly had time to do things, " She had little time to cook anyways. When she got home from work she was exhausted. We'd come down stairs in the morning to find her still dressed and fast asleep at the kitchen table " (67). We can see her struggle as a single mother working 12 hours a day, not having time to cook and even being too tired.

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Race/Ethnic

When reading into the Mothers past we see how she fell in love with a black man, she states she didn't do it as rebellious but as a teenager wanting love. Back then Black people weren't allowed to date white girls, Jew were somewhat cornered white. If people would find out they would have hanged Peter her boyfriend. Not just white folks but the KKK. At the time the KKK was active at night killing black men and dumping them in a river. If her father Tatch would catch him, he would shoot him with a pistol.

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One experience I shared with the character Jame is when he discovers jazz and enjoys listening to it, we can see how he uses music as a way to escape from reality and some of his pain. I also listen to music a lot on a daily basis, which helps me focus, and relax myself. We also find out that James wish's his family to be one color, meaning he dislikes how his mother is white in a all black neighborhood, I personally wouldn't want my family or any one close near me to be different.