The Color of Water Study Guide

1. Where was Ruth born?

• Poland
• Russia
• The United States
• Germany

2. Why did Ruth's family move from place to place?

• Tateh was a traveling salesman
• The family enjoyed seeing the country
• Tateh was a rabbi whose contracts were never renewed
• Mameh's handicap required the family to move from doctor to doctor

3. How did Mameh become crippled?

• She suffered a fall as a child
• Her father beat her
• She fell ill on the trip to America
• She suffered from polio as a child

4. What religious faith did Ruth's family practice?

• Orthodox Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
• Buddhism

5. How does Ruth begin her story?

• "I'm an American..."
• "I'm a believer..."
• "I was born..."
• "I'm dead..."

6. How many children did Ruth give birth to?

• Twelve
• Five
• Fifteen
• Ten

7. Where did James and his family grow up?

• In Louisville, Kentucky
• In the Red Hook housing projects in Brooklyn
• In Suffolk, Virginia
• In Wilmington, Delaware

8. Whose death did Ruth first experience?

• Bubeh's
• Mameh's
• Tateh's
• Zaydeh's

9. Who was the first man to show Ruth love?

• Dennis
• Zaydeh
• Tateh
• Peter

10. Why did Tateh marry Mameh?

• To get a ticket to America
• To settle down and have children
• Because he felt sorry for her crippled condition
• Because he loved her