Indian Diary

1410 Words6 Pages
Thomas Kontos Summer Reading Journal the absolutely true diary of a part time Indian English 11-R Entry1 : the absolutely true diary of a part time Indian opens with the words of the narrator James's mother Ruth, who describes her early life with her family. Born with the Jewish name Ruchel Dwarja Aylska on April 1, 1921, Ruth was born into a Polish Orthodox Jewish family. Ruth explains that she has become, in her words, "dead" to her family as a result of her marriage to Andrew Dennis McBride, James's African-American father. Ruth describes her father, Tateh, (the Yiddish word for father). Tateh was an Orthodox rabbi named Fishel Shilsky. Ruth says he was as "hard as a rock." Her sweet-tempered mother, Hudis Shilsky, or Mameh to…show more content…
His mother met with his inquiries with indirect answers. James's early life coincided with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and he encountered the symbols and rhetoric of black power. This societal force left him conflicted over love for his mother and the desire to feel a solidarity with his peers and neighbors. His mother largely ignored these issues, emphasizing that school, church, and family were to take priority, and that one's private life should remain private. James comments on his mother's often contradictory opinions, which she formulated as a result of her Orthodox Jewish upbringing and her experiences as a white woman, and a convert to Christianity, living among black people. He describes his perpetual surprise at his mother's ease and comfort among black people. Her fearless persistence, inspired by her Christian faith, enabled her to transcend the negative remarks and incidents to which she was subjected as a result of her unusual choices in life. James recalls his concern that racial tensions posed a real and tangible threat to her safety. He remembers boarding a bus headed to a Fresh Air program. A Black Panther, whose child was also on the bus, was standing next to James's mother, waving goodbye. James sensed that the Black Panther would harm his mother, and he attempted, and failed, to…show more content…
He tells the story of how his older brother, Billy, whose memory was one of his greatest assets, drew a blank when it came his turn to recite a Biblical passage on Easter Sunday. Ruth refused to take the incident lightly, beating her son for his forgetfulness. The source of this book's title appears in this chapter when James remembers asking his mother a question about race. He asked, "What color is God's spirit?" and Ruth replied, "It doesn't have a color…. God is the color of water." James's siblings underwent similar periods of curiosity and doubt regarding race. For example, his brother Richie asked his Sunday school teacher why Jesus is always portrayed as a white

More about Indian Diary

Open Document