1.
comments
- Mother was crippled in left half.
- Mother left child alone at bus stop for a period of time.
- Family was Jewish.
- The town did not like Jews.
- Mother is being secretive about her past.
questions
- Why did the mother leave the child at the bus stop for a period of time?
- Why were Jewish unwanted in the town?
- Why was the mother so secretive about her past?
- What was so important about the church to the mother?
vocabulary
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literary terms
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overview sentence
- in this chapter, it gives the exposition where it described the setting and characters.
2.
comments
- Narrator realizes that the mother is white.
- Jews were not appreciated in the town, and the other citizens resented their presence.
- The wife was very loyal but the husband did not appreciate her for who she was because of her looks (crippled in the left half) and cheated on her frequently.
- A reference to "Color of Water" was made "god is the color of water."
- The mother takes church very seriously.
questions
- Why didn't the mother tell the child that she was white rather than having no color?
- Why did the husband cheat on the wife and let her know?
- Why is the church such an important part of the mother and the family's life?
- Why did other families hide from the Klan and this family did not?
vocabulary
- congregation: meeting
- piezyna: Jewish for goose feathers
- connoisseur: a discerning judge
literary terms
- Sam was like a shadow: simile
- God is the color of water: metaphor
overview sentence
- In this chapter, James McBride tells about the narrators past and of how his mother treats him.
3.
comments
- Rabbi's were treated with great respect.
- The narrator was neither the smallest nor largest in his family.
- Jack is a person of trust, anyone could trust him with anything.
- Helen runs away to a place near Jack.
- James (narrator) is singled out in class due to his skin color.
questions
- Does Helen ever come home?
- Why did Helen run away?
- It says they have no dad, yet the father speaks later on, explain?
- Did Helen trust Jack, if so, why did she not go to his house?
vocabulary
- denizen: an inhabitant of a place
- insignia: a symbol on an item/logo/etc.
- yarmulke: a Jewish hat
literary terms
- setting: page 79
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overview sentence
- in this chapter it tells of the hardships that the narrator goes through at home and school.
4.
comments
- James is confused about his skin color, black or white.
- They differentiate between black and negro.
- James' brothers tend to play tricks on him.
- Mother's side of the family is dead(?)
- James is ashamed of his mother.
questions
- What is there differentiation of of black and negro?
- How was the mother's life "fall apart," what could have happened that they used this analogy?
- Why does the mother reveal anything about her past?
- Is James ashamed of his mother because she is white?
vocabulary
- arraignment: processing stage in a courtroom
- chastise: scold
- inadvertently: accidentally, mistakenly
literary terms
- flashback: it tells of the mothers past life.
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overview sentence
- In this chapter it shows us a flashback of the mothers life.
5.
comments
- His father could do anything and made his living in several different ways.
- He drove behind MBTA buses to avoid traffic tickets
- She (the mother) had to get an abortion.
- Mother went to Girls Commercial high school
- He (the guy who got the mother pregnant) married someone else.
questions
- Why was the niece named "Z"?
- Was the person taking drugs heavily to avoid bad memories?
- Did the mother have any children while on drugs?
- Did the mother know how to drive?
- Why did she not get her license?
vocabulary
- gentile: of pertaining to any non-Jewish people
- stupor: mental torpor
- torpor: sluggish inactivity
literary terms
- flashback: tells of the mothers past
- gentile church: imagery
overview sentence
- In this chapter it tells of hardships that the mother had to go through in her childhood and taking care of her children.
6.
comments
- Mother is 51.
- When first encountering a segregated town the family was shocked.
- Mother learns to drive (finally, at the age of 51 lol)
- Narrator worked as a butler for a period of time.
- Narrator lies and acts racist towards white people to fit in.
questions
- Why didn' the mother learn to drive earlier in her life?
- why does the narrator lie to fit in?
- Why did he insult the same person that helped him go to Europe and through college?
- What was the Jewish view on women?
vocabulary
- hors d'oeuvres: french food
- dilapidated: to cause or allow to fall into a state of disrepair, as by misuse or neglect
- oblivion: the state of being completely forgotten
literary terms
- dilapidated bus: imagery
- bespectacled man: imagery
overview sentence
- In this chapter it tells about when the narrator and his family move to a new town that is very segregated.
7.
comments
- Mother is reunited with an old friend
- There is more discrimination against jews.
- It goes back to the mother's past and background.
- More racist comments come up.
- When the family got their own rooms they were bad, to the point where you bruised and cuts from falling.
questions
- Are the family still in the same town as before?
- Why are there so many sections where it goes back to the mother's background?
- Is the story in chronological order?
- Why does the point of view keep changing?
vocabulary
- synagogue: a Jewish religion
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literary terms
- flashback: mothers past again
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overview sentence
- In this chapter it tells of the mother pass experiences with work and comparisons with her sister.
8.
comments
- Story gets confusing with multiple points of view.
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questions
- Is there a reason to why the author is changing the point of view so much?
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vocabulary
-
literary terms
- point of view: the point in which the story is told
overview sentence
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