“The Color of Water” by James McBride, Essay Example

In the book “The Color of Water” written by James McBride the leaving of home by both main characters James, the author of the novel and Ruth, his mother, is a complicated event full of various and mixed effects, causes and motivations. Both people are leaving behind their family environments and unpleasant homes. They are indeed scared as well as hopeful and anxious about being able to find better life that will bring them joy and comfort. Both characters eventually identify that leaving homes was indeed a very positive step forward in their self-discovering journey and living lives apart from their previous family environments.

It was one of the habits of Ruth to let her children go of the nest as soon as it was possible. She cared strongly about allowing them and sometimes forcing them to learn to live self-sufficient and independent lives. As a child Ruth went through the oppression and repression of her dysfunctional family herself, as well as she fled away from that family despite that her own mother needed her. She experienced that a person can be trapped by his or her own family obligations and that he or she can totally lose their life by constantly trying to accomplish those obligations. Her son, James, in comparison to his mother had a good family and lived in pleasant environment. However, same as his mother at the young age he found it necessary to question Ruth’s past and get the answers that helped him shape up his own personality and self-worthiness.

James McBride gave a unique chance to look into the lives of a family that smashes the mold of what is usually considered normal in the society. McBride wrote the novel reflecting on his own life and the life of his mother. This comparison of two individuals allowed the writer to clearly understand his mother’s existence and meaning of it.