The Color of Water is a good memoir, based on what William Zinsser says about memoirs. He says “A good memoir requires two elements, one of art, and the other of craft. He also says, “There’s no self-pity, no whining, no hunger for revenge.” In The Color of Water, James McBride tells his story with all of these traits.
The element of art which Zinsser says is what makes a good memoir is apparent in The Color of Water as James McBride tells his story without droning on and on. He tells each small detail and helps you visualize his life. McBride also adds in artistic elements like telling his mother's story as well as his own. Another element of art he uses is in making it good is by making it so you realize all of the decisions he made in high school with him robbing people and doing drugs. Then he shows that you can resist that urge to do what he did.
The element of Craft is another part of a good memoir. In The Color of Water James McBride crafts each sentence so that you can relate to him and his life. He tells what it was like living in New York and when he went to Kentucky.
Very clear and specific thesis, quoting your main reasons directly from the book is very efficient for your introduction. It will be even better if you could add some examples on how the author use small details to help you visualize his life. You could also explain a bit more on how element of craft is another part of good memoir.
ReplyDeleteAs Jack notes, you do a good job of referring to specific lines from Zinsser's piece to establish your criteria for what makes a good memoir. Try to condense that thesis into one or two sentences, referring more to how McBride does this. Your points remain a bit general. You need to be clearer about what Zinsser means by "art," as your evidence seems scattered. Also, how is the whole memoir constructed? Consider the alternating points of view when thinking about the "crafting" of the memoir.
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