Thomas Betts Three Reason Post

The Color of Water by James McBride is a successful memoir because it reaches all the criteria needed for a good memoir. James McBride avoids dwelling on the negative parts of both he and his mother's life and simply states them as fact, then goes on to discuss the greater effect of this. James McBride also has integrity of intention and really went into his mother’s past to write this novel. Finally, the way this book is crafted pieces together James McBride’s mother’s and his scattered memories and puts them into a coherent story, making The Color of Water a good memoir.

A good memoir doesn’t focus on the negative events in the author’s life but only uses them to get a greater meaning across, which is exactly what James McBride did in The Color of Water. Both he and his mother went through a lot as children and the way he presents these facts is not in asking for pity but only to create a more whole picture of who his mother is and how she made him the person he is. He looks back on the mistakes he made with complete honesty. “ I was obviously hiding, and angry as well,” he says, referring to the fact he was committing crimes and dropping out of school, “ but I would never admit that to myself.” (p. 140) the fact that he blames himself rather than his surroundings and situation makes it a good memoir. By “elevating the past with forgiveness” as William Zinsser puts it he writes a good memoir.

James McBride did not write this memoir to have it be sold out and become a bestseller, but to discover more of his and his mother’s past, giving him integrity of intention. He has to look carefully into the past of him and his mother which gives the memoir meaning and purpose as well as allowing the reader to connect more deeply with stories of their own. When James went back to Virginia  where his mother grew up and talked to the people she knew as a child, it shows that he actually meant to accomplish something writing this memoir. "My own humanity was awakened, rising up to greet me with a handshake" (p. 229) he writes, referring to the emotions he felt in undertaking the journey into his mother's past, proving his integrity of intention.

Crafting a memoir is an element of writing James McBride successfully executes in The Color of Water. The way he writes from his mother's perspective and his own perspective alternating chapter by chapter and goes chronologically makes the memoir flow and make sense. He constructs his and his mother's lives from memory and stories and does an excellent job doing so. The way he carefully constructs the memoir so he and his mother's stories intertwine towards the end shows he carefully constructed his memoir.

By avoiding dwelling on the unfortunate aspects of his childhood and seeking pity, having integrity of intention while writing, and putting together his mother's and his memories into a coherent story line, James McBride writes an excellent memoir.