MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Vocabulary Quiz / Begin in-class constructed response.
BLOG ASSIGNMENT: In the novel, The Color of Water, religion plays a large role in Ruth's life. Do you agree or disagree that religion allows an individual to gain self-identity? Why?
200 words.
DUE: Wednesday, 9/22
During The Color of Water, by James McBride religion plays a large part in Ruth's life. It helps someone gain self- identity. Self- identity is when someone must find themselve thorugh stress, religion and mistakes. I do agree that religion allows someone to gain their self- identity. Ruth was very religious which helped her find her self- identity. Faith in your religion helps you get through each day. Your faith helps you become the person that God wants you to be. This helps you find your self- identity because you become your own person through your belief and how you should lead your life. Without faith you have nowhere to look for help during stressful or happy times. Your religion and your beliefs help you identify who you want to be and how you should become that person. Ruth gained her self- identity by believing that everyone should be treated equally no matter what their nationallity is or how much money they have. She also believed that all her kids should get the same education that a white kid has the opportunity to get. Ruth's religion and beliefs was an important aspect of her life. This is why i agree that religion allows someone to gain their self- identity.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel The Color of Water,by James McBride religion played a major part in Ruth's life. Religion can help someone find their self- identity, and in Ruth's case it did just that. I agree with Allison that Ruth gained self-identity through religion. She was stuck in a religion that she wasn't very interested in and wanted to change. She was like James at this point, trying to find her way, just like when James was drinking and doing drugs. Switching religions was really Ruth's way of finding a "Chicken Man". Religion made her the way she was. Without religion she would not have been he same person, or the same mother to all tweleve of her kids. She believed anything was possible after switching religon. She also believed everyone should be treated the same. Religion was so influencial in Ruth life because it was the foundation of all of her beliefs. These are many of the reasons why religion allows someone to gain self-identity, especially in Ruth's case.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel The Color of Water, by James McBride religion plays large impact on Ruth's life. Religion changed the way Ruth viewed life. I agree with Allison and Conway, that Ruth gained her self - identity through religion. When Ruth was living with her parents and grandparents she was not happy with the religion that everyone in her household practiced. Ruth did not like practicing Judaism, she was not interested in Judaism at all, like the rest of her family was. She wanted to practice a new religion. Ruth's family was very religious. When she married a black man and left, her family shunned her and told her she was never to come back again. After Ruth left and switched religions she finally found her self - identity, by being free of her other religion and family. If Ruth would of never left her family she would of ever had her 12 kids and she would of been unhappy for the rest of her life . Religion took a big part part in Ruth's life because it helped her find her true - identity, her beliefs, her happiness and what meant most to her, which was her children and her religion.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel The Color Of Water by James McBride, is all about a black man trying to get by in life not understanding why his mother had a different skin color than he did. The main character James had to find self-identity. When people need to find their self-identity, they usually look to their spiritual beliefs for help. The Color Of Water has a lot to do with religion. James was trying to find his self-identity because his mother’s life was very mysterious. James was black and she was white and he had no idea why. Once he got older he started to understand more and the different colors. But James was still asking himself who he really is. I do agree that religion can help someone gain self-identity because their belief can’t change who they are it can only help explain who they are. Religion has been around for hundreds of years and it hasn’t changed. People have looked to god for help many times when in need. James was in need of finding out who he is and who his family is and why his mother the way she is. Religion helped James see that it doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is just who you are.
ReplyDeleteSelf identity is the struggle that everyone in their lives must face. Finding self identity is different for everyone. There is no answer for finding self identity; it is something that everyone has to face by themselves. In the novel The Color of Water by James McBride, Ruth McBride gains her self identity through religion. In some cases, such as Ruth’s, self identity can be attained through religion. This is only the case for some people such as Ruth. She was struggling in her life and was not satisfied in her previous belief system. By converting to Christianity she had found god and herself. This does not apply to all people but religion could help some people. People that do not have a strong belief system can find self identity just as someone who does believe in some sort of religion can. I agree that religion can allow an individual to gain self-identity but not for all people. In the novel the only person who finds their self-identity through religion is Ruth. James did not find self-identity through religion, but through struggles in his life. So this is an example of how self identity can be achieved not through the use of religion.
ReplyDeleteIn the book The Color of Water, Ruth went through the struggle to discover herself very early in her life. Many factors went into Ruth's self-identification, including customs, the way her father treated her, the beliefs and dynamics of her family, and many more contributions. However perhaps one of the most effective factors going into her "emotional rebirth" was religion. Her family was very religious, and so was Ruth, but in a different way. Ruth was religious because she believed that her God and her faith was what allowed her to leave her family and start a new life on her own. Therefore I do agree that religion can allow somebody to gain self-identity. Some people rely solely on faith to get them through a day. They stay optimistic and faithful and this in itself can help someone discover who they are. Although I think religion can definitely contribute to self-discovery, I don't think it is the only factor that can play into self-identification. It was a main factor in Ruth's self-identity, but when James began to discover who he is, religion didn't have as much to do with it as other events and qualities such as his musical expression and his family background. James lost himself when he got curious about his heritage and his family history. When he learned about his mothers' history with religion and how important it was to her life, it also helped him in a way because he was learning more about himself and his background which is what he always knew he needed to discover who he is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allison when she says that religion plays a big role in helping yourself discover who you truly are. Whatever religion you are makes a big impact on your life. I believe that people need their faith and trust in God to help them through their life long journey and to help guide them in the decisions they make. With God walking along beside them, they can start to figure out who they are, what they believe in, and how they want to live their lives. Some people are very religious and it's very important to them. Religion helped Ruth McBride throughout her entire life because it was so important and it helped her become who she was "re-born" into, and that helped her throughout the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteI agree that religion helps to let someone gain self identity. The reason behind that is because in order to have self identity you need to be your own person, in order to be your own person you have to stand by what you believe in. obviously religion relates to that because if you believe in something and you stand by that belief … follow it, it helps you to form your own identity. Also if you are strong enough to follow something even though sometimes you may be judged upon that belief at times and mocked it just proves that you are you and your ok with who you are which all that matters. This was proven true in the Color of Water by James McBride as Ruth would tell James all of the time that religion is very important and he should always believe in god, because god does not judge and that’s the kind of person he should be.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, The Color of Water, religion plays a major role in Ruth’s life. When she left her family, she decided she did not want to be Jewish anymore, since it caused so much pain from abuse and no love in her family. She became a Christian, and found happiness and love in God. By becoming a Christian, she gained self-identity and lived a happier life. Her faith in God got her through struggles in her life, including the death of her husband. Faith can help you figure out who you are, what your morals and beliefs are, and can help you cope with hardship in your life. In conclusion, I do believe that religion, even though there are other things that can help too, can help people gain self- identity in their lifetime.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, The Color of Water, by James McBride religion plays a large role in Ruth's life. Self identity plays a key role in ones life. It is the discovery of who one is as what they are meant to do. This is a challenge that comes through many obstacles and challenges in life. In Ruth's case she had a huge self identity based on her childhood life and what struggles she faced with her father and community. Ruth was very religious and sought peace through her practices as a Jew and christian. I think this did effect her self identity because having a religion creates pride in ones life and security that one can spread to a community or in Ruth's case her children. Her self identity was as a successful mother to raise 12 black children to college and become successful men and women. This also gave her a sense of pride. She taught her kids how to respect other religions because they were important to her.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel The Color of Water by James McBride, religion was extremely important to Ruth and she taught her kids to have faith in god. I believe when Ruth converted from Judaism to Christianity she was a lot happier with her life, because it was like throwing away her old life in Suffolk and beginning a new one with her husband and kids. This shows how she discovers her self-identity because she realizes who she really is and what is important in her life, and religion made that clear to her. Self- identity is a struggle that everybody faces in life, where you discover who you.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, The Color of Water by James McBride, the two main focuses in Ruth's life were knowledge and education. James was raised hearing those words quite often. "... and a deep belief in god and education. My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education tempered with religion was the way to climb out of the poverty in America, and over the years they were proven right." (p 29) Ruth taught her children they would be nothing without God and education in their lives. I agree with Allison when she said, you become your own person through your belief and how you should lead your life. I think people seek religion when they have hard times in their life and need to get back on track. I agree with the statement that religion allows an individual to gain self identity. Religion can help a person find who they really are and what they're capable of through their beliefs, hope and faith. I agree with Julie when she said, God is there for people to guide them through their journey in life. Religion helps figure out who a person really is because like in the novel, James was able to discover his mothers past and realize how little family love she had, but how much religion had to do with her life. Family is a large factor in finding out an individuals self identity, but some people, like Ruth had no family love and her beliefs and faith were always available for her, as it is always available for everyone. As a result, I agree that religion, along with other factors, can help an individual gain self identity throughout their life.
ReplyDeleteReligion was a major part of the novel The Color of Water by James McBride. In this novel Rachel grows up in a strict Jewish family, but soon after moving to New York Rachel becomes Ruth, a strong catholic woman. I agree with Allison that religion helps Rachel become Ruth and find her own self-identity, because self-identity is found through struggle, and when you’re struggling you can always find help through God and your faith. I think that the morals that are made based upon religion help make who we are as people. I agree that not every one’s search for self identity requires a religion to play a major role. This is shown in the novel because, James finds his self-identity without the use of his own beliefs but with the beliefs of his mothers. In the novel James is on a constant journey to find out who he is, For him to do this he has to first find out who his mother was. When he grows older and discovers his mothers back ground, he is happy to have come from a diverse family. “As I walked home, holding Mommy’s hand while she fumed, I thought it would be easier if we were just one color, black or white. I didn’t want to be white. My siblings had already instilled the notion of black pride in me. I would have preferred that Mommy were black. Now, as a grown man, I feel privileged to have come from two worlds. My view of the world is not merely that of a black man but that of a black man with something of a Jewish soul” (103)
ReplyDeleteIn the book The Color of Water by James Mcbride religion plays a very important role in all the characters life. Ruth grew up in a extremly relious jewish home and left to become a devoted christain. This helped her gain self-identity by showing her to belive in god and that will help a person go through life. Ruth tried to instill these religous value in her kids to help them gain there own self-identity and become good people. I agree the religion helps gain self-identity to people. Alot of trouble kids turn to religion and faith to guide them through tough situation. Religion does not matter wheither a person is black or white so it can comfort any person in need. God is ther to help people make the right descion and forming there self-identity. Religion is just one of the many facotrs that help people find there self-identity.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel The Color of Water by James McBride, religion plays a major role in self discovery and identity. In the beginning of the book when Ruth's life was abusive and not a comfortable lifestyle, the way she was living had to be changed in order for her to be able to move on and become the person she wanted to be. Along with this she changed her religion. She became a whole new person with different views and religion played a huge role in order for Ruth to undergo her transformation. In the Christian church she was able to express herself freely as apposed to having formal lessons teaching religion as a Jew. Ruth passes on her very religious lifestyle to her children. This is one of her rules that her children abide by, good education and religion, because she believes religion is very important in one's life.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel The color of Water by James Mcbride, religion is mentioned constantly and is really a key theme in the book. I believe that religion can be helpful to find your self identity but it is not needed. In Ruth's case it was helpful because when she was jewish she felt like she couldn't love people. In order for her to find herself she had to covert to Christianity. Once she did that she was then able to love because she found herself. Ruth kept enforcing to her children that religion and education were the most important things in life. But also in other cases religion is not needed to find self identity because self identity can be found through struggle and i believe that is how most people find out their self identity. Self identity is a big thing in life and there are many ways to achieve it, and religion can be a key way to achieve. So yes i do agree that religion plays a big part in finding out who you are, and also accepting where you come from.
ReplyDeleteI believe religion played a huge role throughout Ruth’s life in The Color of Water by James McBride. It allowed her to gain self identity and she was able to figure out who she really was deep down inside. Ruth had discovered at an early age that Judaism was not for her, so she decided to convert into Christianity where she would feel more comfortable. This decision may have seemed little or non-important in the novel but it had actually made the biggest impact. Personally, I think it had made the greatest impact, you should not have to follow something just because it’s what your parents do or because it’s the right thing to do, you should not be afraid to be different, being different is a good thing and that’s what makes the world go round. When Ruth converted beliefs, she had felt much more content with herself and the people around her; it had made a change in her that many of her peers had noticed. She got rid of the old Rachel from Suffolk and became the Ruth McBride she was always supposed to be, the Ruth McBride she was born to be. Religion made her into the friend, wife and mother we know today.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, The Color of Water, religion plays a large role in Ruth's life. I agree with it because it often seems that when people are going through hard times they turn to their religion for help. Being devoted to your religion can truly help you discover your self identity. Many people follow the teachings or beliefs of their religion to find out who they are and gain self identity. God is supposed to be there to guide you through life and keep you on the right track and it is helpful to turn to God in order to gain self identity. Turning to religion isn't the only way to gain self identity. There are many other ways to discover who you are. Although in the novel, the major aspect being used was religion. If I was in a rough spot in my life religion would probably be my last resort as a solution but that doesn't mean I can't gain self identity. Religion may have made Ruth who she is but every one has a different self identity and we all gain our self identities in different ways. It could be by means of education, where you grew up, who your friends are, what activities you do, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of my classmates religion does play a large role in Ruth finding her self identity. In the beginning of the novel Ruth was Jewish and at the same time she was living a miserable life. By the end of the novel Ruth had changed Christianity and her whole life was different. I agree with Nick in that a lot of people turn to religion in times of need. When things aren't looking good is when you often see people praying more and more. Ruth was in a tough time so she converted to Christianity and she used that as a place to go in a time of need. Religion continued to play a big part in Ruth’s life after she converted and she wanted it to do the same for her kids. Ruth realized how much Christianity helped her discover who she was so that is why she stressed it to her kids so much. I firmly believe if Ruth had not changed to Christianity she would not have ended up being the same person.
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