The Color of Water Lesson Plan

Why do you think Ruth came so close to becoming a sex worker, and why did she ultimately move back in with Bubeh? Do you think she would have continued living in Harlem if she hadn’t spoken to Dennis? Why or why not?

Students may reflect on whether sex work was a lifestyle Ruth genuinely wanted to pursue, or whether she was driven by desperation to escape her circumstances. They should consider the seemingly insignificant choices, circumstances, and attitudes which lead to potentially life-changing events in her life, for example, Ruth feeling pulled toward Harlem and communities with more Black people, her naivete about being able to find certain types of work in those...