TheColorofWaterbyJamesMcBride

Findatotalof15examples.Youmusthaveatleastfourofeachdevice/element,andthentheotherthreeareofyourchoice.Theymust
comefromallpartsofthememoir,meaningbeginning,middleandend.

Simile:figureofspeechinwhichtwounlikethingsareexplicitlycompared,asinsheislikearose.

Imagery:languagethatevokesoneorallofthefivesenses:seeing,hearing,tasting,smelling,touching.

Dialogue:Thelinesspokenbyacharacterorcharactersinaplay,essay,story,ornovel,especiallyaconversationbetweentwocharacters,
oraliteraryworkthattakestheformofsuchadiscussion.Baddialogueispointless.Gooddialogueeitherprovidescharacterizationor
advancestheplot.Inplays,dialogueoftenincludeswithinithintsakintostagedirections.Forinstance,ifonecharacterasks,"Whyare
youhittingme?"thereadercanassumethatonstageanothercharacterisstrikingthespeaker.Noticingsuchdetailsisparticularly
importantinclassicaldramaandinShakespeare'splayssinceexplicitstagedirectionsareoftenmissing.

LiteraryDevice/Element

LineandPageNumber

Simile

p.13thatmemoryblinkedlikeadistantfoglightina
storyseaanditdrownedinmypanic.

Imagery/Detail

p.5Itwasahugeoldclunker,bluewithwhitetrim,
withbigfattires,hugefenders,andabatterypowered
hornbuiltintothemiddleoftheframewithabutton
youpushedtomakeitblow.

Dialogue

p.86Thefirsttimeithappened,weasked,Ma,howd
youlearntotalklikethat?
Mindyourownbusiness,shesaid.Neverasquestions
oryourmindwillenduplikearock.SomeoftheseJews
cantstandyou.

Howdoesthisdevice/element
enhancethewriting/memoir?
Itshowsthepanickedfeelinghehadwhen
hismotherwasnttheretopickhimupat
thebusstop.Theimportanceofthe
experienceiscleartothereader.
Heisdescribingthebikehismotherrode
aroundafterhisstepfatherdied.Asa
reader,youaregiveneachdetailtopicture
thecontraptionclearlyfromcolortoits
awkwardness.
Oneofthefewtimessheletsherchildren
seeherJewishside.Sheconsidersita
finishedpartofherlifeanddoesnttalkto
herchildrenaboutit.Shehasmovedonand
doesntwantthemaskingquestions.


1. Simile

Dialogue
1.

Dialogue
2.

Imagery
1.

Simile
2.

p. 13 "....Blinked like a distant fog light in a story sea and it

drowned in my panic"

It shows immense detail and gives the reader

a better idea of what is happening.

86 "The first time it happened, we asked, 'Ma, how'd you

p.
learn to talk like that?'

It points out a key question to the mother, and

keeps the story going.

86 "Mind your own business, she said".

p.

detail in the dialogue gives character to

This
the speaker, showing that she is stubborn.

5 "...And a battery-powered horn built into the middle of

p.
the frame with a button you pushed to make it blow"

dialogue makes the reader imagine and

This
try to think of what this may look like.
Something like a "jerry-rigged" addition.

29 "Mommy's contradictions crashed and slammed

pg.
against one another like bumper cars at Coney Island"

It is describing the mothers contradictions as if

they were all over the place and clashing with
eachother non-stop.


Imagery
2.

3.
Imagery

Imagery
4.

Simile
3.

Dialogue
3.

86 "Never ask questions or your mind will end up like a

p.
rock."

It shows the irritation of the annoyance that is

the wonderer in this dialogue.

p.
86 "The first time it happened...."

This
makes the reader imagine there being a
problem between the two people, as such
happened the first time said action occurred.

144 "He was a tell, thick, chocolate skinned man with a

pg.
mustache..."

This
quote makes the reader imagine what
this character looks like, and is great detail for
the story.

270 "I felt like a Tinkertoy kid building my own self out of
pg.
one of those building sets...."

This
represents a person who is finding
himself by imagining such quote.

51 "What color is God's spirit?" "It doesn't have a color,

pg.
she said"

This
dialogue represents the duality between
two races, meaning all are the same.


Simile
4.

Dialogue
4.

Dialogue
1.

2.
Imagery

Dialogue
3.

270 "For as she laid her life before me, I reassembled

pg.
the tableau of words like a picture puzzle."

describes the person peicing together her

This
words in his mind as if it were a picture puzzle
and shows immense detail.

28 "Ruth McBride came her from a Jewish immigrant

pg.
family."

This
dialogue gives detail as to where the
person came from and provides necessary
detail for the story.

53 "Jesus should be gray."

pg.

quote gives detail as to what they are all

This
feeling at the time. In immense pain and
struggle yet no help.

pg.
271 "She has always been slightly out of control"

This
quote represents the instability of the girls
mental workings, and once again gives
immense although necessary detail
throughout the book.

26 "I thought Black Power would be the end of my

pg.
mother."

This
quote shows the wonder of the person in
this dialogue. And disbelief as well.