THE COLOR OF WATER FINAL EXAM
1. Ruth’s family sat SHIVA for her, this means:
A. They celebrated her 16th birthday
B. They performed a funeral for her
C. They celebrate this as part of Passover
9. As a young girl, Ruth’s favorite hobby was:
A. working in the store
B. playing with her sister Dee-Dee
C. running
2. Yiddish for Father is:
A. Tateh
B. Theta
C. Taltos
10. Mommy was not a big fan of Rev. Owens
because:
A. he couldn’t read well
B. he had a speech problem
C. he was a preacher who was too proud
3. Yiddish for Mother is:
A. Mamma
B. Matzoh
C. Mameh
11. Ruth was sexually abused by:
A. her uncle
B. her father
C. her brother
4. When James was fourteen, his mother had two
hobbies, they were:
A. playing piano and driving a car
B. playing guitar and riding a bicycle
C. playing piano and riding a bicycle
12. The one thing James saw his mother do in
church that she didn’t do anywhere else was:
A. Cry
B. Sing
C. Preach
5. After James’ stepfather died he:
A. virtually dropped out of school
B. became a professional jazz musician
C. went back to school and raised his grades
13. James’ brother Richie stopped going to
Sunday school because:
A. he didn’t agree with the Sunday school
teacher
B. he didn’t agree with Jesus being white
C. he didn’t believe in God
6. Mommy’s madwalk had a particular look to it
because:
A. She was paralyzed on her left side
B. She was bowlegged
C. She broke her leg riding her bike
7. “You couldn’t just walk into America”, you
needed:
A. A family member who was already a
citizen
B. A sponsor
C. A fake passport that said you were an
American citizen
8. As a kid, James wished his family was more
like:
A. The TV show “The Brady Bunch”
B. The TV show “Leave it to Beaver”
C. The TV show “Father Knows Best”
14. It was important to be a “Big Kid” in James’
family because:
A. mommy treated you special
B. you could do whatever you wanted
C. you could be in charge and boss all the
“Little Kids” around
15. When giving Bible lessons, Tateh would:
A. Hit the children when they made a mistake
B. Yell at the children when they made a
mistake
C. Both A and B
16. Ruth’s brother Sam:
A. ran away to New York City
B. ran away to Chicago
C. Became a rabbi himself in Chicago
17. Ruth’s brother Sam;
A. died in a car accident
B. died of a stroke
C. died in World War II
18. While growing up, James’ house was:
A. a combination of a three-ring circus and
zoo
B. a combination of a library and music store
C. a combination of a madhouse and business
19. The sibling that everyone looked up to was:
A. James
B. Rosetta
C. Dennis
20. James’ sister Helen left the house at the age of
15 because:
A. she was kicked out by mommy
B. she was kicked out of school
C. she became involved with the civil rights
movement and had arguments with her
mother and siblings
21. One of the first friends that Ruth had in
Virginia was:
A. Frances
B. Helen
C. Mrs. Ingram
22. Ruth tells James that she never really starved
for food, she starved for:
A. her father to understand her
B. education and religion
C. love and affection
23. Ruth displayed her “Jewishness” to her
children by:
A. showing them how Jewish people hated
black people
B. showing them how important education is
C. showing them how to celebrate Passover
24. No matter how Ruth tried, she could not
control:
A. her children because they got involved
with gangs and drugs
B. her children because they were also
influenced by others outside of the family
C. her children because they were more
educated than her
25. Ruth’s first pregnancy was from:
A. her first husband Andrew
B. her first boyfriend Peter
C. her father
26. Hunter Jordan epitomized:
A. old-time racism
B. old-time cool
C. old-fashioned education
27. While living with her aunt Mary, Ruth was
only really loved by:
A. her cousins
B. her grandmother
C. her great-grandmother
28. The person who assisted Ruth to get an
abortion was:
A. Aunt Betts
B. Aunt Mary
C. her grandmother
29. After James’ stepfather died, his “family” was:
A. his mother
B. his friends
C. his teachers
30. Chicken Man’s death is ironic because:
A. he did not follow his advice he gave James
B. he did not listen to the guys on the corner
C. he did not a get a job and leave the corner
31. Ruth could not be part of her graduation
ceremony because:
A. she didn’t finish all her classes
B. she couldn’t go into a gentile church
C. she didn’t believe in going to the ceremony
32. How long did it take for Ruth to get over
Hunter Jordan’s death:
A. a few months
B. five years
C. ten years
33. During her mourning period, Ruth was
confused about everything but:
A. her kids
B. her job
C. her religion
34. Ruth describes a person who is inquisitive and
funny, and easygoing and secure. This is the
description of:
A. a true friend
B. a true child
C. a true man
35. When the family moved to Delaware, James
became:
A. more involved with drugs and crime
B. more involved in music
C. more involved with writing his book
36. James realized that he had no anger toward
white people in general because:
A. they had done nothing to him to hate them
B. only white Jewish people he distrusted
C. he hated his own race
37. Dee-Dee was different from her siblings
because:
A. She was the first child born in America
B. She was the first child to work in Shilsky’s
store
C. She was the last child to be born in Poland
38. When researching his family, James runs into
a man who describe Tateh as “mean as a dog”.
This person was:
A. Sam Shilsky
B. Eddie Thompson
C. Chicken Man
39. Ruth enjoys her Christian faith because she
“holds on to” the idea that:
A. God will forsake you
B. God will forgive you
C. God will make you suffer
40. What song did Ruth’s mameh sing when she
younger:
A. when the saints go marching in
B. twinkle, twinkle, little star
C. birdie, birdie, fly away
41. According to Ruth a marriage needs:
A. money, God, and education
B. love, God, and communication
C. love, God, and money
42. Who is the best preacher in Ruth’s eyes:
A. Reverend Abner Brown
B. Reverend Owens
C. Reverend Andrew McBride
43. What is the name of the church Ruth and
Dennis founded:
A. New Brown Memorial Baptist Church
B. New Brown Memorial Catholic Church
C. New Metropolitan Memorial Church
44. What did Andrew “Dennis” McBride die of:
A. Cancer
B. Heart Attack
C. Stroke
45. When Ruth’s family sat shiva for her and said
kaddish, they were:
A. praying for her safety
B. no longer responsible for her or related to
her
C. forgiving her
46. James found it difficult to research his
mother’s story because:
A. most people wouldn’t talk to him because
he was black and his mother was white
B. his mother’s memory was like a minefield,
each of her recollections being a trap
C. his siblings refused to give personal
information
47. James had what careers during his life:
A. composer and journalist
B. classical musician and composer
C. music teacher and journalist
48. After reuniting with Frances, Ruth continued
to stay close to her to this day.
A. True
B. False
49. James’ oldest brother became:
A. a nurse
B. a doctor
C. a scientist
50. Ruth McBride Jordan:
A. received a degree in education
B. still lives in the Red Hook Housing
Projects
C. is a social worker