English The color of water

What doesn't mom like to hear about in a sermon

Large churches with political preachers nor pentacostal churches that were too wild

what two similes do the author use while explaining the reverends sermons

Like a tiny choo-choo train into a roaring locomotive. Like shooting a gun bullets of amen flying all around

What made sams smile

Making his mother happy

How does Aunt May treat her

Mean

What does James use to escape

Music and book

Do you think Ruth over- reacted

No because that man was wrong for selling her spoiled milk

What activities were not allowed on the Sabbath

No light switches could be turned on or off. No tearing of paper. No riding in cars or going to the movies, not even a simple lighting of a stove.

What does Ruth love about NY

No one cares about race or religion

Why do you think Ruth avoids talking about her past with her children

Probably because she doesn't really care or want to remember them

What two hobbies did Ruth take up when James was fourteen

Riding a bike and Piano

Who is the bird who flies

Ruth

What is the promise and what do we find about it

Ruth promise her sister that she will stay but she breaks it

What would Ruth's father threaten her with

Saying he was a citizen and they were not. And he can send them back to Europe

How did she react to the news about peter

She cried and was heartbroken

What does ruth fear about death

She fears that what if she's not really dead and she gets buried alive

Why is it contradicting that his mother sends him to white school

She felt that whites were evil to black however the white school had the best education

How does James describe his mothers physical apperance

She had black curly hair with dark eyes and still was slender and pretty at 51

Why did Rachel Shilsky have to die? pg 2

She had to die in order to let the true Ruth live

Why do you think James mother only cried in churches

She is crying because she said she's happy. However James knew that there was pain

What does mom feel guilty about

She lost everything for her and her family

Why may Ruth have gotten upset when the teachers would ask her if her children were adopted l?

She probably felt angry that no one understands that these are her real kids

How does mameh react to the sailors

She seem to distrust them when they ask for the girls to see the boats

What does Mom do with all her money ?

She spent every dime on her children's college and grad school

in what way was ruth starving when she was a child

She wanted love and affection

Why do you think mom hides her emotions from her kids

She wants to maintain a positive and strong representation to her kids

What was Aunt may up to

She was cheating with her best friends husband

How do you think her life would be different if she stayed

She would probably end up marrying the man her father forced her to marry and she would've lived a sad life

What were the living conditions like back then according to Ruth

Sickness spread around people lived in poor housing with no running water, no foundations, no bathrooms

How does James react to the racism towards him

Sinks in his chair and is shy and doesn't confront them

How does James earn money

Sold reefers

How does her family deal with their feelings

Swept it under the rug

Why didn't Ruth want James to be a mucisian

Because his father was a musician and was poor because no one hired a black man

Why does James think it's best to move

Because his friends were getting into trouble and he thinks it's wise for them to move

Why do you think Ruth was so adamant about her children staying at home and keeping their business private

Because it can endangered her family due to the rising social tensions occurring

Why does he want to get away from his mom

Because it hurts him to see her mourn

Why didn't her parents go to her graduation

Because it took place in a gentile church

Why did Ruth go back to Virginia?

Because mameh was sick

Why does Ruth go to her graduation

Because of Frances

What is fair of mom to lay the responsible of making Helen stay on the kids

Because she doesn't go to school

Why is Ruth so afraid of guns

Because she feared that her father cleaning the gun could kill him

Why may James teachers have asked Ruth if James was adopted

Because she is a white lady with a black son

Why does Ruth say she's dead? pg 1

Because she is dead to her family. She never get an I love you from them and they mourned her when she married a black man

Why doesnt Ruth enter the church

Because she knew it was wrong for a Jew

Why do you think she pushes her children away

Because she knows that they can have a better life without her holding them back

Why do you think mom ignored the outside world when thy would go out

Because she knows who she truly is and doesn't care about the judgement she receives from people

What other reasons did he feel he had to leave Boston

Because there was racism

Why was Ruth family uneasy to live in Suffolk.

Because they always heard about someone being hanged and floating in a wharf and they were Jews.

Why do you think her dad hated black people

Because they were happy and poor and he was wealthy and miserable

Why does Ruth say people notice her

Because they were poor and Jewish and my mother was handicapped

Why did the parents get divorced

Because they were unhappy

How did Peter win Ruth over

By making her laugh and smile

How do Mameh sister tell her Bubeh had died

By writing a letter to her saying that there's three rooms worth of Furniture

What turned James around when he was 16

Chicken man life scared him and he didn't want to live like that

Why do you think his mother refuse to speak of her past

Cuz she wants to forget it

Who steered Ruth away from Rocky

Dennis

According to James what is the immigrant mentality

Hard work, no nonsense , quest for excellence, distrust of authority, and a deep belief of God and education

What does the statement " I belong to the world of one god and one people" tell you about James view on race

He believe that races doesn't matter cuz we are all human beings

What is James reaction to his mothers piano lessons

He didn't like it and he couldn't stand to hear it and he would go out.

Why won't Tateh buy his children new clothes

He didn't see the logic in buying clothes if you get hand me downs for free

How does he feel about his butler job

He doesn't like the people he serve

Why didn't James play Aubrey's greetings to his mother

He felt it would make her too emotional

What can you infer about the Reverends education based on the trouble he has with reading

He has no education because James said when he was twelve he was better at reading than him

How is the boy in the mirror different from James

He is free from racism rule and hunger

How has growing up in a dual-race household affected James as an adult

He knew that when races blame other races they are just twisting the truth

Why didn't hunter live at St. Alban's house

He liked neatness which St. Albans wasn't

How does "daddy" mention race

He mentions it by calling the kids special

What does James begin to notice about his mother ?

He noticed that she doesn't look like any of the other mothers and she doesn't look like him

What happened to Sam

He ran away to Chicago and worked as a clerk and then died in WW11

Why doesn't Dennis marry Ruth

He said the world isn't ready for them

How did the media effect James perception of the Black Panthers

He saw how angry the crowd was and he thought to himself that they would kill his mother

How does James deal with his pain

He used reefers wines and rugs to forget the pain

Why was Ruth afraid of uncle issac

He was a drunk and when he drank he was vulgar and mean

What was Ruth's Father Like? pg 3.

He was a hard stern man who was not easily fooled

What did Ruth's father do for a living

He was a traveling rabbi

Why doesn't James want to go places with his mom

He was ashamed of going outside with her

How did James react to and deal with his stepfathers death?

He was devastated. Started failing all his classes and dropped out of high school. He did bad things such as stealing, shoplifting and smoking

Why doesn't James want his mother to ride the bike?

He was embraced of his white mother and the fact she was riding an old bike

What happened with the brownstones

He was forced to move out because the city wanted to build low income housing

What are Rocky's plan for Ruth

He was gonna pimp her out

What was her dad up to

He was having an affair

What was James' stepfather like

He was loving generous and compassionate. He was gentle and careful with his work but also was hard and bold

Why did James sock the black panthers son

He was the son of a black panther and James felt that his father and him wanted to hurt his mother

What does a hunter do?

He worked as a furnace fireman

How does JAmes take advantage of this situation

He would go out and not care about anything

What did Ruth's father do to her

He would molest her in bed and when he taught her to swim he would put his body parts on her. Very very disguisting man

Why do you think it was best he wasn't raised Jewish

He would've been held back with all the rules

What is your reaction to how they broke the news

Heartless and cold

What did Peter risk in dating Ruth

His life

How does games interest in independence backfires

His mother ends up going to the store and he is seen with his white mother

Why is James so afraid of Black panthers

His mother was right next to one and he saw in the media how they attacked white people

How did Russians treat jews

Horrible they would line them up and kill them in cold blood

Who does James know as his father

Hunter Jordan

Do you agree with the above? Explain

I believe that it can help

Why does James become a butler

In exchange to going on a music trip a family payed for his trip if they worked for him

Who is more violent James or the black panthers son

James is more violent because he physically assaulted the son because of his fears that they wanted to hurt his mother

What keeps his mom going insane

Jesus and church

Why does James say whites and blacks hate his mother?

Jewish white women living a black life who wasvery different

How does James learn about his mother

Through his siblings gossip

Why did Ruth go back to Suffolk

To finish school there and graduate

Why does Ruth want to move

To start a new life

What was her aunts response when she asked for help

To stay out of her life

What did James parents believe was the way outta poverty

To use education and religion to climb out of poverty

how did tateh treat his wife

Very bad he had no love for her and made fun of her disabilities

why does mom say god is the color of water

Water doesn't have any color

Why does James continue to smoke pot

Weed kept him away from the truth which was his mother is falling apart

What made black people happy in the south

When they go to church

Do you think Ruth should feel guilty for leaving her mom

Yes because her mother needs her more then anything

Do you agree with James statements near the end of the chapter about life

Yes he was right that life is sacred

Why do you think Richie gets so mad at the white picture of Jesus

because it shows god doesn't like black people because most white people hated black people

how do the stepfather and moms priority match

both care about education and school

what was moms top priority

education

What did she do about the pregnancy

got an abortion

How was Ruth treated by other kids in Suffolk?

harassed and bullied her

What is the irony of Hunter spending his life savings in the house

he didn't even live there

How does Eddie describe Shilsky

he was a terrible man

why did the Jews get mad at Ruth's father

he was gonna open a grocery store on the black side of town

why did ruth fall in love with a black man

her dad hated them a black man was the first person to show love to her

who knows ruth is pregnant

her mom peter some black folks

How did Ruth deal with stepfathers death?

rode bike constantly depressed wasn't interested in marriages

what does mom do to keep the kids busy

sends them to free events in the city example block parties and the pool

Why do you think she reacts this way

she doesn't want them to hurt the girls

Why does Jack send James to the corner ?

so he can see what happens when he doesn't go to school and so he could see what his life could be like if he doesn't go to school

Why does James like the corner

sometimes has a lot of action does whatever he wants to do everyone is out here had beer and drugs gets a true street education nobody knows him

What does Ruth say about the South

they always had secrets never what they seemed like was like a bomb waiting to go off

Why does Ruth say her father married her mother?

they had a forced, arranged marriage. Ruth parents had a lot of money and her father saw this as a way to get to America

Why do you think Tateh spent his family time slaughtering chickens

to make money by selling the chickens

What were some of the things people ate back then

turtles fish crabs

How did Frances and her family treat Ruth

very nicely; Frances stuck up for her at first she wasn't allowed to see Frances

What did the kids eat for dinner

whatever their mom brought home from work or whatever was in the cabinet

why did Helen quit school

white mans education was not for her

how does mom say being poor was different back then as compared to nowadays

you didn't need as much money to survive back then

What does she find out about peter

That he is getting married and got her pregnant

Why can't Ruth stay in Suffolk

That life is not for her

What do we find about their education

That many Jewish friends of the kids payed for their education

What does the driving incident tell us about Ruth

That she left her past knowledge on driving and she didn't care

What lesson is learned by chicken mans death

That you're life is whatever you want to do but his life was not great

Where does James Mother like to hang out

The Red Hook Housing Project in Brooklyn

How was James treated the first time her asked to see synagogue

The lady said he was a janitor and had a black Jew working there which was a janitor

What was her mother like? pg 3

The opposite of her husband. She was gentle and very pretty but she had polio

How is James like his Jewish aunts when it comes to pain

They both pushed the pain down and don't let it out

How did people react seeing Ruth and Dennis together

They didn't react bad they accepted it

Why do the older brothers think they should move

They felt that Ruth can't afford to live in New York

How was Ruth treated by white people

They insult her for having black children

Why don't his younger siblings want to move

They loved where they lived

What does Ruth say she loves about black folks

They nevered judged her

Why doesn't James tell his stepfather how he felt about him

They nevered said I love you to each other

Why are they lost in Delaware

They new nothing about Delaware

How does Ruth extended family treat her

They really didn't care about her

Why won't they give her a job in Harlem

They thought she was a prostitute because she's white in a black neighborhood

how was Ruth treated by black people

They treated her with disrespect

How did the Jewish people in Suffolk treat James

They were kind to him

What would they do to interracial couples back then

They would hang the man and chase the girl out of town

How did James and his siblings deal with the "realities we had no control over"

They would spend hours playing tricks and teasing one another

Why did Ruth's family move so much

Because her father was a scoundrel and congregations began to figure out that he was not a man of god and sent him away. And they signed contracts which only last a year

Why do you think Helen ran away

Because her fight with Rosetta and she was sick of her life

Why didn't Ruth mom want to move to Suffolk

Because her sisters and mother were in NYC

Why does mom hate Delaware

Because her son David was innocent and was arrested at a traffic stop

What does James compare his mothers signing to

A cold engine trying to crank on an October morning and a whining Maytag washer

What phrase does Ruth use to describe black peoples live in the south

A dead end

What was most important to mamehs sisters

About money

How does she describe Andrew McBride

As a kind generous funny guy

How does Eddie describe racheal

As a kind girl

How does the store owner act to ruth

Astonished that she has a black child

Why do you think the old man is laughing so hard at James

Because Rabbi Shilksy was hated blacks and his grandson is one

Why do you think Ruth hears her moms crying in her head

Because Ruth is sadden by her mothers cry and she hears it when she is sad

Why won't Ruth eat crabs

Because a crab ate a dead body

Why did James fear for his mother's safety?

Because at a young age he deep down knew that White and Black people didn't get along

Why do you think James avoided visiting hunter in the hospital

Because he didn't understand what really happened and thought he could hang out with his friends as long as he could

Why doesn't James track dee-dee down

Because he doesn't want to introduce more pain in her life

Why does Ruth say she went out with Rocky

Because he had money and a nice car

What is ironic about Tateh worries that blacks would steal from him

Because he sells cheap good for 100 percent markup and he is worried from stealing from him

Why did James want to quit the Boston globe

Because he wanted to be a musician

Why didn't Ruth have any Jewish friends in Suffolk

Because her family was seen as low and they dealt with black people

What does the metaphor of you throw water on the floor it will find a hole

It means that by hiding the feelings eventually they will break down

Why was Ruth so confused about death

It seemed not to long ago that the people were alive and joking and being silly

Why is mom always on the go

It was her way of mourning and she's running for her own sanity

Why doesn't Ruth like the Jewish religion? pg 2

It was too strict with all the rules and regulations. And there was no sense of love within the family

How was the school in New York different that the one in Suffolk

It was very hard

What's mom beans story bout

It's about the different beans out there but at the end of the day they are all human beans