The Color of Water (Character Description)

Character Description

My favorite person throughout the book is the author's mother Ruth McBride-Jordan.

• "Ruth converted from Judaism to Christianity after her move to New York. She became increasingly involved with local churches, and eventually opened her own church with her husband. Ruth's parents had forced Judaism on her, causing her to resent religion. She embraced Christianity because she discovered it on her own. After her separation from her family, Ruth needed some source of relief from the guilt she felt, and she found that relief in Christianity's emphasis on the power of forgiveness. "

Ruth is my favorite character in the novel because of the characterization that the author gives her. His mother is his greatest inspiration and this fact is very evident throughout the whole novel. He explains how his mother told him that God was the color of water, and not black, white or brown. This was great characterization because it let us know that his mother valued the inside more than what was on the outside and this was a way of thinking that he and his siblings adopted. The author also describes the late night hours that his mom works, and this shows us that she is hard working. He lets us know that she has sent all 12 of her kids to college, and this shows that she is devoted to their success, and she wants them to have the best in life.

It would be fun to write a description of my grandma, because she has some of the same characteristics of Ruth McBride-Jordan.

• "My grandma is a hardworking women, and she is deeply involved with her faith. She is involved with a lot of churches, and she prays every day in the morning and in the night. She loves her family and she provides a lot for them. She is a principal at a school, and education is very important to her, and she wants the best for all her grandkids."