The Color Of Water-Week 2, Post A

Vocab:
-Jettison (97): To throw off (something) as an obstacle or burden; discard.
-Arraignment (97): A calling into question or a finding fault, esp. with respect to the value or virtue of something; critical examination.

Appeals:
"They went wild, but even as I sat down with their applause ringing in my ears, with laughter on their face, happy to feel accepted, to be part of them, knowing I had pleased them, I saw the derision on their faces, the clever smiles, laughing at the oddity of it, and I felt the same ache I felt as I gazed at the boy in the mirror. I remembered him, and how free he was, and I hated him even more." (105) This passage represents an emotional appeal. As I was reading this I could imagine what the scene looked like as if I were there. I can picture the student's faces that show both excitement and mockery as James dances around the classroom for their pure enjoyment. I could also imagine the feeling James had as he watched these children laugh and point and smile.

"His father was a black man, a railroad brakeman, and his mother a Native American, so he had a lot of Indian in his face: brown skin, slanted brown eyes, high cheekbones, and a weather-beaten outdoor look about him, a very handsome dude." (120) This appears to be a logical appeal because the description of James's stepfather is quite explicit and it is easy to picture what he might look like.

"When they tore down his house, it was like they ripped out half his arteries." (125) This is definently an emotional appeal because it is a similie that pertains to an emotional reaction. I am able to comprehend what it would feel like to be in the situation James's stepfather was in and understand his feelings about it.

Quote:
"He said that since I was the oldest living at home, I had to watch out for Mommy and my little brothers and sisters because 'y'all are special,' he said. 'And just so special to me.' It was the only time I ever heard him refer to race in any way, however vaguely..." (128) I found myself reading this quote several times because I couldn't understand what the referance was to race. The only conclusion I have come to is that James's stepfather is referring to race when he says "y'all are special".

Theme:
I belive the most prominant theme in this memoir is tolerance. There are clear elements of tolerance of race, tolerance of religion, and tolerance of people who are different from you or unusual in some way.