The Color of Water Lesson Plan

Reread the passage in Chapter 8 in which the author describes his sisters (from "Helen was the second-eldest of my sisters..." through "She shrugged when Mommy was done"). Why do you think McBride writes about his sisters here as a group? Why do you think he describes their physical appearance in such detail? Why does it matter that they were pretty? How does this characterization compare to how he writes about his brothers thus far in the book?

Students might compare and contrast the author's characterization of his sisters with that of his brothers, noting how his sisters are discussed separately from his brothers, who have appeared individually in anecdotes...