The largest aspects of a story's exposition include the introduction to conflict, characters, and setting. Select one of these elements from your text so far. Discuss, in depth, your understanding of the element, and how you believe it will continue to develop and transform throughout the reading.
For example: Focus on one specific character you have been introduced to. Discuss their description and character traits, as well as your opinion of the character so far. Then, share any predictions you may have for the character's future.
After posting, continue the conversation. Add detailed analysis to at least two other classmate's posts made. Continue responding until you feel the conversation has reached a point of resolution.
The topic talked about most in these first few pages is all the characters. The narrator, talks about the many siblings (12) that they have. “My clothes were clean, but not new. The pants had been Billy’s, the shirt was David’s, the coat had been passed down from Dennis to Billy to David to Richie to me”(11). It sort of shows that he is like the last one to get good clothing, he’s sort of forgotten about after the 11 other children. I believe that throughout the story, the young man will continue to get closer to his mother and will become the prominent child in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteWhat could make him and his mother grow closer? Could there maybe be some type of bond they may share? I also wonder now that you brought up his siblings, why did Ruth, the mother keep them all after her husband died? Is it possible that maybe she was scared of what could happen to them?
DeleteI agree with you that James will become close with his mother, but I think he's going to go behind her back to try to figure out her past first so he can fully understand her.
DeleteI agree with your statement because James siblings always pick pranks on him. For example on page 23 it says "I told Richie: "If I'm adopted, you're adopted too." "Nope," Richie replied. "Just you, and you're going back to your real mother in jail."" His siblings always pick on him like he just doesn't exist.
DeleteSo far in The Color of Water, we have been introduced to a few of the main characters, such as the narrator, author, and son, James and his white mother, Ruth. In the text we are given an in depth description about his mother that gives the readers insight and a visual image of the characters physical and some emotional aspects. Near the beginning, the text states, “At fifty-one she was still slender and pretty, with curly hair, black hair, dark eyes, a large nose, a sparkling smile, and a bow legged walk you could see a mile off. We used to call that ‘Mommy’s mad walk,’ and if she was doing it in your direction, all hell was gonna break loose.(McBride p.7). This quote shows the readers that although Ruth is seen as a beautiful dark haired, slim woman, she is not to be mistaken or taken advantage of because she can turn from being her big-hearted self to being tough, scary, and intimidating very quick.
ReplyDeleteI think adding the description of the mother into this was a great idea. I was reading for tonight and it talks about how the mom is seen as beautiful and slim but is actually protective and strong. I feel like the mom is a very important character in the novel.
DeleteI agree that the mom is a strong character in this story and I like how you used that quote to describe her because it says she is a beautiful women and very strong and that she cares about her children and that's how I imagine the mom in this story.
DeleteThe main character in the book, James McBride, always knew he was different than his mother. He looked at himself and his 12 brothers and sisters, and then looked at his mother, and something was just different between them. “Then why don't you look like Rodney's mother, or Pete's mother? How come you don't look like me?” (P. 12) In the book, James is a troublemaker and is always getting himself into trouble because he knows his mother isn't watching. James mother is grieving over the loss of her husband and likes to spend time on her own when she doesn't have to take care of her kids. This shows that James mom is struggling being a single mother with 12 kids, but then again she loves all of them and is trying to take care of all of them equally. After what I read, I think that James isn't going to stop questioning why he doesn't look like his mother and he's going to do things he shouldn't to find out about his past and his father's past to see where he really came from and why he feels like he doesn't fit with his mother.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with this post. The mom seems to be a very prominent character in the story. I agree with your statement that she is struggling to be a single mom with 12 children, as any human would. The way you described james also fits very well.
DeleteI agree with you on this because James lives the same life as his siblings so they all can relate but have a very hard time understanding their mother. I think her biggest problem is she has been grieving over the death of her husband for far too long and isn’t willing to get over it for her family. Because of the way she has been James is now going down the wrong path and is going to get hurt/in trouble with the lack of guidance he gets.
DeleteThroughout this story there are a total of 13 characters in this story, the main character of this story revolves around a child by the name of James at age 5 “I was terrified when it came my turn to go to school. Although P.S. II8 was only 8 blocks away, I wasn’t allowed to walk there with my siblings because kindergarten students were required to ride the bus.” (Mcbride pg. 11) (I’m not sure about his age, this is an assumption because he is going to kindergarten, and I went to kindergarten when I was 5 years old.) James is the youngest out of his 11 siblings, and he only has one parent his mother who is white, when all of her children are black compared to their white mother (How could that be, I know they talked about her being an Orthodox Jew in Poland, but who was James’ father?)
ReplyDeletetotal of 13 characters (so far)
DeleteAlthough there are 13 characters, I do not think they all are important enough elaborate on. We have never got a clear description of all of them. Also, to answer your question "who was James' Father?" we do not have much information at this point in our reading on who he was other than he was an orthodox Rabbi and that he died fairly young.
DeleteI think the main reason for stating that James has 11 siblings in meant to show the struggle and poverty he is growing up with, not to focus on each character individually. This helps build the background of James and his mother to show why they deal with stuggles on top of being colored in the 1920's.
DeleteAfter our first two readings we were introduced to Ruth and James, along with his 12 siblings and mother. Ruth was born into a jewish family and moved to America in the 1920's. James' life growing up hasnt't been easy and is taking him down the wrong path with drugs and bad grades but doesn't have the guidence to change his ways. His mother tries her best to hide pain and to only show strength because she doesn't want her children to feel lost and with no hope/future (Pg.9). James can't seem to figure out why his mom is the way she is and why she avoids talking about hard times but seems to have a good relationship with her. I can see why the struggle in this lifestyle is so hard but I am also impressed that they seem to be doing decent for what they've been dealt to deal with.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, because since James' father died before he was born, their wasn't anyone to guide him to make sure he makes the right decisions, and not go down the wrong path.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete