Toward the end of the book, we learn more about James' early adulthood. Why do you think he quits so many of the jobs he had after graduate school? What other symbols, themes and characters does his perpetual quitting connect to?
39 comments:
Anonymous
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James quits because the way he grew up music and writing never mixed, mainly things never mixed when he was growing up. Church never mixed with education, and other things. So he thought the way he grew up and he constantly quit jobs to be something else. He either wanted to follow his passion and become a musician or follow what he was good at and be a reporter. He wanted to be different, he wanted to express his feelings in different ways. So not being able to mix and wanting to do two things very badly ended up only keeping one job for so long. Also James maybe wanted to follow his father a bit, His father was a musician and when he learned that, maybe he thought music was a way to connect to his father. These could be only a few reasons why James could not stay with one job. James has proved his emotions are extremely complicated since his teenage years. this is kevin
james can never ceap a job, once he gets out of school. this is not because he gets fired very often, but instead because her is not satisfied with his job. every once in a while he insists on quiting his job and persewing a life of music. this always would be the case whenever he got a good well paying job. this kind of shows how his mom's incapability of being able to stay in one place but instead to run from her fears, is passed down to her son. he runs when ever he is unstisfied. his mom now wants him to settle down and live a comfortable life with out runing whenever he is not happy. this both shows her high expectations from her children to have there live differ from hers. this also shows how she no longer runs from her fears but instead stands up to them. james is still stuck betwean his mothers needs and hisown life even at the age he is now.
James quits so many of the jobs he obtains after he leaves school because he wants to pursue a fulfilling life in music. He can never hold on to a job, no matter how well it pays, or how happy it makes others. I agree with Peter when he says that James is sort of like his mother in the sense that he is unable to remain still because of his fears, or his desire for something greater. James' desire for a better life stops him from making stops on the way to his dream life, stops that could help him achieve his dream life easier. This shows that desire is a clear theme in this book, and that life itself, and the privilege to choose your own life is a symbol.
James quits so many of his great jobs because as he later says he doesn't know who he really is. He is un-satisfied with him self so he can't be satisfied with anything in his life. Without knowing himself and who he loves, his mother, he doesn't know what to do with his life-whether to peruse music or writing. I agree with Peter and Jake in saying that James is a lot like his mother. James can't remain a steady job because of his past, fears and lack of knowledge of himself. As James quits jobs and pursues music he learns a lot about himself. He sees his loves and passions and finds out more about who he is which is what he needed to begin a steady life style
Once James gets out of school he quits every job he has that has to do with journalism. Including a job with the New York Post that was a very sought after position. I think there might be a similarity here between James and his mother. Ruth could have married a nice, white Jewish boy and had a normal life, James could have kept his job with the New York Post, the normal way to go. Both decided to follow their dreams and go a different way. Ruth, when she married a black man, became an outsider in her society. When James quit one of the most high ranking jobs for a journalist he decided to follow his own path. It seems as if a lot of Ruth's character traits were passed down to James. Ruth and James both strive to be unique, they both have to struggle with survival, but this only makes them fight harder to be heard. This is Zoya on Peters account because my account won't work.
He really didn't know much about himself so I think he needed time to go around and live his life and find out. He also in indiscreet ways has attributes to him that his mother had. He also ran to find out his past, going as far to Suffolk. He wanted to also to pursue his love for music. Mostly I think he just wanted to settle down and be himself. He quit to be absolved of duty, or to be purified and move on.
james is still a very confused person. as a child or an adult he doesn't know were he is going in life. this is causing him to be different. because his childhood was tough he had to survive by himself. i think that in this process of dependence he had to follow something that made him who he is. he doesn't know what he wants to do. there are two different things that james could do/follow. he could just find a job and work for a living like everyone does. or he could follow his passions and dreams. he is stuck in a positions that no one wants to be in. doing what he really wants to do is important but if it doesn't work what will he do. if he doesn't follow his dreams then he will become a boring individual. he has to do what he thinks is right or he will never get anywhere p.s. tom this is Emmett
James is continuously quitting his jobs as a journalist because he despises the way the whole system of the offices runs, and becasue he longs to play music for a living. He doesn't quite know how to mix the two, so he thinks that he has to chose one. Some of the posts and papers that James worked for were quite prestidious, but he never kept any. Instead, h epreferred a life of music, a much more unstable job, and he ddn't make much money doing it. The fact that he was always on the move realted to the way his mother was as a child, and also was in her old age. James chose the hard path, as his mother did often times. One example is that she stayed, for a time, to take care of her mother while she could have been in New York City. James took the hard path and pursued what he truly loved, a smart and courageous move on his part
The quitting-job aspect of James life relates to the restless aspect of the book. For example: The mother keeps moving as a child and as an older woman, there is constant movement and chaos in James' early lofe, James switches schools several time, and it seems that the McBride family is one that will never stop being slightly chaotic. However, they still seem happy, no matter what.
Oh, and one more thing: The constant quitting connects to the Blue Bicycle and it's constant moving, and the way that they both happen continously, to no end.
he quits so many jobs because in a way he is trying to settle down but he also wants to find the job that is right for him and he doesn't know what that is yet. moving is also part of his life and his history and he doesn't know how to let go of that yet. he needs time to sort himself out and figure out who he wants to be and he can be anything.
James never had a settled life when he was young. He was always on the move and had almost no time for his interest in composing music. When he graduated, he looked for several journalism jobs, which were very fine. But he still chose to quit. The constant quitting relates to his personality being a person who seeks freedom. Just like Ruth, he wanted to be a freelance and be free from all troubles. The bicycle, "Black Power" and several other symbols related to speed and freedom added to the recapitulation of the story. But what interests me most in the book was how James ended it by connecting his life and Ruth's together. From a graphical view, it looks like two railway tracks fare apart and gradually merging to form one. Both Ruth and James had similar personalities. No surprises there. Always the mother and the son.
In the last few chapters of C.O.W you get a large insight into James' contradictions. He discusses all of his jobs he obtained for short amounts of time, but then ended up quitting because he felt they weren't leading him down the path he wanted his life to follow. He truly wanted to be a musician and follow in the footsteps of his father, but he also had great joy in writing.
One of the themes that his quitting of jobs shows is the idea of wanting more/restlessness.This is very important because it shows that James was very determined to find a "perfect" life. Because of his restlessness her keeps quitting and trying to find something new. This is very similar to Ruth. When Ruth is restless she is always trying to search for something better, just like James. This is very important because it shows a connection between James and Ruth.
I agree strongly with Noah that James did not feel satisfied with himself and his life. He was a good reporter, and enjoyed his work, but after having such a controlled and often difficult childhood, he would feel unfullfilled if he was not able to properly express himself. He used music as a way of letting out all of the emotions and memories of his childhood and as a way to go back to some of these memories and ponder them. As a boy he was nearly always watched by his mother, or so he felt, and he and his siblings had very controlled childhoods. He was never able to express himself as a kid, and being in a family with 11 other children did not do anything to facilitate that, so now as an adult he can't seem to get enough of expressing himself. Also, his wanting to write a book dedicated to his mother was also something that reflected his childhood. As a boy, James was deprived of all knowledge of his mother's past, and as an adult he wants to uncover the mystery about his mother, and let the world know. James' constannt quitting is somewhat similar to Rith's behavior when she was young, like the way she loved to run, to try and get away from things. Also, many things were forced upon James when he was young (religion, having a white mother, going to a white school, being one of 12 children)and now as an adult he is using his freedom to make his own choices to the fullest extent, even when it seems unnecessary.
James was still deciding what career he wants to pursue. His love for music and love for writing never mixed, so he had to do them seperatley. Whenever his writing would interfer with his music he would quit one or the other and it was usually his writing job that he would quit. I think James kept on quiting his jobs because he was indecided which one he wanted to do. I agree with Sophie when she says that this is similar to the bike. He does not stop quitting his jobs just like Ruth never stops riding the old bike. I can also relate this to Ruth. Even though Ruth was against James quitting his jobs, James thought it was the best thing to do just like how Ruth's father thought it was wrong for Ruth to leave Suffolk but Ruth thought it was the best thing to do for herself.
His mother played a big part in his life because he had to know more about her in order to know more about himself and his family. He quit his jobs to do that and settle down.
After graduating James didnt keep alot of jobs because he was never satisfied. He never knew what he wanted to pursue in his life. He also sometimes quit or changed his job because something happened in his life.
At the end or the book, James does tell us more about his life as an adult. He quits every job he has. He quits these jobs, in my opinion, because he never really feels satisfied with himself. While in college, he never knew what he wanted to do for a living; become a writer or a musician. He didn't know what his calling was. This is the case while an adult. He didn't know what he really wanted to do with his life, so he quit his jobs, hoping to find something that he really feels drawn to.
James grows up, and follows two professions. his money making one is being a reporter. He is really good at his job, and lands some very good and steady positions. His other profession is music. He loves music, and retreats into jazz whenever he can. Music helped him put his life back on track after his addiction, and he still plays it.
When he grows up James constantly switches back and forth between these two careers. He is a journalist for one paper, then he quits. He goes of for a while and play the saxophone in the subway station. Then he gets hired for another paper, and after some time, he quits to pursue music.
James grew up unsure of who he was, and about the one person he love the most; his mother's past. He doubted many things like the question of race, and spent his life thinking. This quitting shows he is still unsure of who he is and what to do in life.
James never can put up with a job. He finds it hard to find his ambition. He thinks his true ambition is music. When he finds a jobs his "Musical Career" gets in the way of it. He'll get a great job but then think of what could've been if he had pursued music. To me this proves his passions are more important to him then having a good job. Imagine if James became a dentist. How would he feel midway in his career at the point of no return and have to deal with that cringing feeling of "Could've been". This connects to his Mom because she kept moving on. James just kept moving on and never settling. The feeling of the wrong choice doesn't sit well in his family either. Even his Mom had trouble with decisions even the minuscule ones. James also might have been affected by his family and how musically talented they were and are. His sisters were all great dancers. Richie was amazing at saxophone. Even his father was a musician. He could've felt like his family in sense was attached to music and he needed pursue that attachment. -Pablo
James quit many jobs all the time for two reasons. The first reason is because he is torn between music and writing. The other reason is because he never knew who he was. He says, "It took many years to find out who she was partly because i never knew who i was. It wasn't so much a question of searching for myself as it was my own decision not to look." It was interesting that he would get a great job and then be a musician for a while. As James was growing up he says "... I was confused about issues of race." He also says "... When i found myself squeezed between black and white, i fled to black side ... and did not emerge unless driven out by smoke and fire." He would quit also because this whole time he was in conflict. It took James a long time to get out of this conflict and i think writing this book helped him learn about himself which is helping him figure out who he is and who he wants to be.
The complete answer to the question is a paragraph in the book. He says, "But i did quit, partly because i got tired of running, and partly because the little ache i have known as a boy was no longer a little ache when i reached thirty. It was a giant, roaring, musical riff, screaming through my soul like a distorted rock guitar with the sound turned all the way up, telling me, Get on with your life: Play sax, write books, compose music, do something, express yourself, who the hell are you anyway? There are two worlds bursting inside me trying to get out. I had to find out more about who i was, and in order to find out who i was, i had to find out who my mother was." This is Jamie
I think that James would not keep a job for a long time because he was striving for complee satisfaction. He could never find a vocation that addressed all of his talents and loves while challenging him as well.
This also resembled Ruth's incapability of keeping a house. I think that that was for the same reason too. She was always looking for the right place. The place that would be perfect and that would address all of her needs. I think everyone goes through these experiences in their lives but for different reasons. For James, I think he couldnt keep a job because he was still trying to figure out his identity and who he was exactly and for Ruth, she already knew who she was but throughout her life, she had gone though so many obstacles, all that changed her life in some way or another. She aready knew who she was but since she did not have one identity for most of her life and she had finally found who she was and achieved her destiny, she sill needed that comfort of some part of her life changing rapidly.
I think that Ruth is a great example of showing that you do not find exactly who you are until the end of your life. Even as you get older, you still need to try and experience new things because you never know what affect something might have on you. James quitting his jobs was him trying to find who he was only to find that each thing was different and gave him something different. He would never know what job or path was the most perfect until the end of his life. Same for Ruth.
The reason James quits many of his jobs is because he is trying to find who he is and what he wants to pursue, journalism or being a musician. "After I graduated from Oberlin College, I began a process of vacillating between music and writing that would take eight years to complete before i realized i could work successfully as a writer and musician." By finding out who he was James felt in the beginning that he had to chose between being a musician or writer. That is the reason why James quit multiple jobs even though he was a talented writer. I also believe that James found it difficult to stay put at one job was he didn't know of his family history, so going down south to where his mother grew up and then writing this book helped him to learn what Ruth tried to hide from her children and escape. I think James' perpetual quitting is connected to, i agree with peter, jake, and noah, his mother Ruth. Throughout the book, it seems Ruth can't seem to stay somewhere if something goes wrong or is a reminder to her grim childhood. This gives the impression that Ruth couldn't face her fears but only run away from them. In a similar state, James would write at night to be away from the reality of difference or the synergy between black and white that was inside him but found it difficult to burst out.
James could never stay with one job because he didn't know who he was. he didn't know what he believed in, what his morals were are what it was that he represented.he "trys out" so many jobs because he also struggles with the question of what career he wants to pursue, writing or music. But through his prcocess of jumping from job to job, james realizes that he could never figure out who he was until he knew who his mother was. one theme throughout this process is confusion. He is confused as to who he wants to become. he is confused about his family, his mother, and the road to which he will take as he advances in his life. james is confusesd about his life, but knows that he just needs time to figure out what he wants.
james quits many jobs because he trys to find himself. He wanted to write and play music but didn't know that he can do both. During these jobs he wants to write about himself. He knows that writing for newspapers and magazines is not for him, in away he doesnt feel complete. This symbol connects to his mother in quitting also how his mother chooses to move all the time.
James is continuously conflicted by the reappearance of racism and is troubled by his confusing childhood. he quits so much because he feels that he wants to find himself, his family. So the idea of not knowing seems to bug him so he tries to take breaks from life by playing the sax. I think this connects to his insecurity as a child.
James didn't keep his job at all the newspapers and other places he got hired at becuase he was not sure weather he wshed to be a writer or a musian. He keeped quiting jobs becuase he was unsure about what he wanted to do. I think that also his fahter wanting to be a musician also made hium even more unsure bevause he wanted to be like his father beuase he never met him and he wished to be as much as him as possible even if he "didn't really meet him". None, of those jobs satisfy him he wasnts so many things and doesn't know what to take and what to leave behind. I agree with Peter this is also shows the similaritiess between him and his mother. They both are used of escaping and avioding things. They keep runing away from things an d situations. I also think that he turned these offers down becuase he was not 100% of what he wanted to do.
James is a hard worker, a very bright person with a complicated life. James went through a lot of ups and downs in his childhood and adult life. Through out his life he's always trying to find the true him and what truly lies deep within him. He still trying to find his place in life, and what he wants to settle down in doing for his career. Does he want to be a musician, or a waiter, an accountant. These are really big decisions for him. He didn't make a lot of his own decisions his whole life, his mom did. But now that he's on his own he can't rely on someone else to run it for him. He quit so many jobs because he didn't like them or it just wasn't for him. He's a person who wasn't necessarily encouraged all the time. He never really knew or thought about his future. Now that he's older its a much bigger situation for him to deal with especially that he never really talked to his mom about what his future might be. If he just gets a wake up call or a sign, or realizes that he needs to follow his dreams. He might not quit jobs anymore, he might go into a good business and enjoy his career. A sign or a wake up call is all he needs.
James quit many jobs as a young adult. He moved on from one job to the next, never quite satisfied. This way of moving along quickly and often reminds me of the way that his mother Ruth moves and is always running. Ruth runs from place to place, riding subways, walking, biking, and changing cities and states. She is constantly on the move, and when James was still figuring out who he was he was in motion most of the time as well. James was annoyed and confused by many people he worked with. He never felt that the job he had at the moment was right. Ruth would get mad at him for doing so, even though she moved in similar ways. He wanted to know who he was, and the only way he could do that was by finding out who his mother was. He realized this later. At first he goes from job to job, wherever he went there was always a desire to do what he wanted to do, which was play music and write on his own accord. He quit many jobs because he was never quite satisfied. It seems that when he started to work on The Color of Water and find out more about his and his mothers past, he was satisfied.
James could not stick to one occupation because he was unsure as to what he wanted to persue in his life. He was stuck between music and writing. He did not know which path to follow and felt that he could not follow both at the same time. He kept switching jobs because he could not mix both writing and music. He was never satisfied and always longing for something else.
James grew up in a world where his mother was never 100% sure about the next move or what she wanted to do. James loves writing and playing music, but he was never sure what he wanted to do for a living. He had to find his nitch in life. Also, the journalism jobs that he had never satisfied him. The colleagues that he had, sometimes tried to empathize with the people that they were writing about or black people in general, but they did not know how it really was growing up amdist segrigation and poverty. James feels that they are phony, and where he is writing for is not what he really wants, so he ends up quitting and going back to his first love music. (Mind you, James does this multiple times.) James is not totally satisfied unless he is fufilling his heart. Writing for others maybe was not, but playing music was.
James is confused about the person he is supposed to become. He does not know that he is allowed to be more then one thing is his life. He quits his job so many times because he doesn't feel that he is fulfilling his life correctly. James does not know what to follow so he does what his heart tells him to. His heart tells him to become a musician and a writer. His music was the one component that help him complete himself and also helped his writing. Being able to play music James was able to complete his life, and ultimately himself.
I agree with Peter, that unsatisfactory lead to running. In this case that met quitting diffrent jobs. The running that was included in his childhood caught on ro him. James was really never use to anything stable. The only real passion that really connected with him was music. I think because music was creative and there was never a weong answer. Through some of the book he choose the wrong answer. He has so many good things going for him, but is not sure how to react.
I agree with many, and feel that though james was earning a stable income and seemed satisfied with the way his career was going he still had an urge to chase his dream of becoming a musician. He believed that similarly to the to such controversial races dominant in his heritage his dreams shared their controversy and confusion.
His career was practical yet his passion wild, exiting and unpredictable . I believe that James passion for music may have in-fact been linked to the father he was never given the chance to get close to yet idolized rather his writing career linked to the moral's of stability so greatly enforced in his family.
I feel james also provokes the hectic emotions present in a teenager throughout his life adding to the stress of having the choices apparent in his adult life.
I think that after James finished school, he has so much of a passion for music that his heart/gut tells him to quit all of the jobs until he finds the one that involves being with the music. You don't have a passion for anything by just watching or listening to it. A real passion is something you are addicted to, always would like to do it, and it is something that is fun. You don't have a passion for music unless you eat sleep and breathe music. You have to feel the music flow through you. But most importantly, you have to be with the music. James is all of these things. He keeps quitting jobs until he finds the one for him involving music. Now that is a passion for music. I think that this also connects to his drop off of religion and school. Just this doesn't have the same effect on your life that cutting school and losing your religion do. (Brandon)
james was constantly fliping between being a writer or a musician. one of the few times he stays in on job is when he researches his family. his family history was more important than his job at the time. eventualy he learned you could do both. he got to work at the two things he loved most about his life. he grew up wanting to be a musicion but grew into wrighting and soon wanted to do that too. he constantly quits jobs because he can't decide which he wants to do more, write or play music.
Ruth's father is one of the quiters in the story. he quit Ruths's mom and he quit his religeon when they no longer served him. james quit jobs because he could not deside not because they no longer interested or served his purpouse. in this respect, james is like his father Dennis. Dennis couldn't stay with a job becaus he had different callings. he settled as a minnister because his religeon took priority over work and he found a way to combine the two. Ruth quit new york when she could no longer cope with the pain it had caused her and had to leave for her own soul. james has enharited his need to quit from manny sources in his life. this is the reason he could not hold a job. he didn't know he could hold two jobs.
James quits many of his jobs after graduate school for various reasons. The most important reason. I think is because those weren't the right jobs for him. Those weren't the jobs that were meant for. He probably also wanted to do something else instead of this because he knew he could become someone very great in life who could make a difference. This job was becoming an author. Both of his fathers inspired him to become a better person. When he "lost" his stepfather it was a tough time for him because he was what kept him in school. He always told him to do the right things. Before he left he said "'Y'all are special.'he said 'And so special to me.'" Even James said he never talked like that and from that moment on he knew that his father was going to die. He ran away from his problems because sometimes the truth can be scary and people don't like to hear the truth because it is too painful to bare. Quitting also connects to his mother running away from her family because she couldn't take it anymore. She ran away from her problems because it was too painful. James was following what his mom did, but it just made it worse. At the end of the book James learned not to run away from his problems.
39 comments:
James quits because the way he grew up music and writing never mixed, mainly things never mixed when he was growing up. Church never mixed with education, and other things. So he thought the way he grew up and he constantly quit jobs to be something else. He either wanted to follow his passion and become a musician or follow what he was good at and be a reporter. He wanted to be different, he wanted to express his feelings in different ways. So not being able to mix and wanting to do two things very badly ended up only keeping one job for so long.
Also James maybe wanted to follow his father a bit, His father was a musician and when he learned that, maybe he thought music was a way to connect to his father. These could be only a few reasons why James could not stay with one job. James has proved his emotions are extremely complicated since his teenage years.
this is kevin
james can never ceap a job, once he gets out of school. this is not because he gets fired very often, but instead because her is not satisfied with his job. every once in a while he insists on quiting his job and persewing a life of music. this always would be the case whenever he got a good well paying job. this kind of shows how his mom's incapability of being able to stay in one place but instead to run from her fears, is passed down to her son. he runs when ever he is unstisfied. his mom now wants him to settle down and live a comfortable life with out runing whenever he is not happy. this both shows her high expectations from her children to have there live differ from hers. this also shows how she no longer runs from her fears but instead stands up to them. james is still stuck betwean his mothers needs and hisown life even at the age he is now.
James quits so many of the jobs he obtains after he leaves school because he wants to pursue a fulfilling life in music. He can never hold on to a job, no matter how well it pays, or how happy it makes others. I agree with Peter when he says that James is sort of like his mother in the sense that he is unable to remain still because of his fears, or his desire for something greater. James' desire for a better life stops him from making stops on the way to his dream life, stops that could help him achieve his dream life easier. This shows that desire is a clear theme in this book, and that life itself, and the privilege to choose your own life is a symbol.
James quits so many of his great jobs because as he later says he doesn't know who he really is. He is un-satisfied with him self so he can't be satisfied with anything in his life. Without knowing himself and who he loves, his mother, he doesn't know what to do with his life-whether to peruse music or writing. I agree with Peter and Jake in saying that James is a lot like his mother. James can't remain a steady job because of his past, fears and lack of knowledge of himself. As James quits jobs and pursues music he learns a lot about himself. He sees his loves and passions and finds out more about who he is which is what he needed to begin a steady life style
Once James gets out of school he quits every job he has that has to do with journalism. Including a job with the New York Post that was a very sought after position. I think there might be a similarity here between James and his mother. Ruth could have married a nice, white Jewish boy and had a normal life, James could have kept his job with the New York Post, the normal way to go. Both decided to follow their dreams and go a different way. Ruth, when she married a black man, became an outsider in her society. When James quit one of the most high ranking jobs for a journalist he decided to follow his own path. It seems as if a lot of Ruth's character traits were passed down to James. Ruth and James both strive to be unique, they both have to struggle with survival, but this only makes them fight harder to be heard. This is Zoya on Peters account because my account won't work.
He really didn't know much about himself so I think he needed time to go around and live his life and find out. He also in indiscreet ways has attributes to him that his mother had. He also ran to find out his past, going as far to Suffolk. He wanted to also to pursue his love for music. Mostly I think he just wanted to settle down and be himself. He quit to be absolved of duty, or to be purified and move on.
james is still a very confused person. as a child or an adult he doesn't know were he is going in life. this is causing him to be different. because his childhood was tough he had to survive by himself. i think that in this process of dependence he had to follow something that made him who he is. he doesn't know what he wants to do. there are two different things that james could do/follow. he could just find a job and work for a living like everyone does. or he could follow his passions and dreams. he is stuck in a positions that no one wants to be in. doing what he really wants to do is important but if it doesn't work what will he do. if he doesn't follow his dreams then he will become a boring individual. he has to do what he thinks is right or he will never get anywhere
p.s.
tom this is Emmett
James is continuously quitting his jobs as a journalist because he despises the way the whole system of the offices runs, and becasue he longs to play music for a living. He doesn't quite know how to mix the two, so he thinks that he has to chose one. Some of the posts and papers that James worked for were quite prestidious, but he never kept any. Instead, h epreferred a life of music, a much more unstable job, and he ddn't make much money doing it. The fact that he was always on the move realted to the way his mother was as a child, and also was in her old age. James chose the hard path, as his mother did often times. One example is that she stayed, for a time, to take care of her mother while she could have been in New York City. James took the hard path and pursued what he truly loved, a smart and courageous move on his part
The quitting-job aspect of James life relates to the restless aspect of the book. For example: The mother keeps moving as a child and as an older woman, there is constant movement and chaos in James' early lofe, James switches schools several time, and it seems that the McBride family is one that will never stop being slightly chaotic. However, they still seem happy, no matter what.
Oh, and one more thing: The constant quitting connects to the Blue Bicycle and it's constant moving, and the way that they both happen continously, to no end.
he quits so many jobs because in a way he is trying to settle down but he also wants to find the job that is right for him and he doesn't know what that is yet. moving is also part of his life and his history and he doesn't know how to let go of that yet. he needs time to sort himself out and figure out who he wants to be and he can be anything.
James never had a settled life when he was young. He was always on the move and had almost no time for his interest in composing music. When he graduated, he looked for several journalism jobs, which were very fine. But he still chose to quit. The constant quitting relates to his personality being a person who seeks freedom. Just like Ruth, he wanted to be a freelance and be free from all troubles. The bicycle, "Black Power" and several other symbols related to speed and freedom added to the recapitulation of the story. But what interests me most in the book was how James ended it by connecting his life and Ruth's together. From a graphical view, it looks like two railway tracks fare apart and gradually merging to form one. Both Ruth and James had similar personalities. No surprises there. Always the mother and the son.
In the last few chapters of C.O.W you get a large insight into James' contradictions. He discusses all of his jobs he obtained for short amounts of time, but then ended up quitting because he felt they weren't leading him down the path he wanted his life to follow. He truly wanted to be a musician and follow in the footsteps of his father, but he also had great joy in writing.
One of the themes that his quitting of jobs shows is the idea of wanting more/restlessness.This is very important because it shows that James was very determined to find a "perfect" life. Because of his restlessness her keeps quitting and trying to find something new. This is very similar to Ruth. When Ruth is restless she is always trying to search for something better, just like James. This is very important because it shows a connection between James and Ruth.
I agree strongly with Noah that James did not feel satisfied with himself and his life. He was a good reporter, and enjoyed his work, but after having such a controlled and often difficult childhood, he would feel unfullfilled if he was not able to properly express himself. He used music as a way of letting out all of the emotions and memories of his childhood and as a way to go back to some of these memories and ponder them. As a boy he was nearly always watched by his mother, or so he felt, and he and his siblings had very controlled childhoods. He was never able to express himself as a kid, and being in a family with 11 other children did not do anything to facilitate that, so now as an adult he can't seem to get enough of expressing himself. Also, his wanting to write a book dedicated to his mother was also something that reflected his childhood. As a boy, James was deprived of all knowledge of his mother's past, and as an adult he wants to uncover the mystery about his mother, and let the world know. James' constannt quitting is somewhat similar to Rith's behavior when she was young, like the way she loved to run, to try and get away from things. Also, many things were forced upon James when he was young (religion, having a white mother, going to a white school, being one of 12 children)and now as an adult he is using his freedom to make his own choices to the fullest extent, even when it seems unnecessary.
James was still deciding what career he wants to pursue. His love for music and love for writing never mixed, so he had to do them seperatley. Whenever his writing would interfer with his music he would quit one or the other and it was usually his writing job that he would quit. I think James kept on quiting his jobs because he was indecided which one he wanted to do. I agree with Sophie when she says that this is similar to the bike. He does not stop quitting his jobs just like Ruth never stops riding the old bike. I can also relate this to Ruth. Even though Ruth was against James quitting his jobs, James thought it was the best thing to do just like how Ruth's father thought it was wrong for Ruth to leave Suffolk but Ruth thought it was the best thing to do for herself.
His mother played a big part in his life because he had to know more about her in order to know more about himself and his family. He quit his jobs to do that and settle down.
After graduating James didnt keep alot of jobs because he was never satisfied. He never knew what he wanted to pursue in his life. He also sometimes quit or changed his job because something happened in his life.
At the end or the book, James does tell us more about his life as an adult. He quits every job he has. He quits these jobs, in my opinion, because he never really feels satisfied with himself. While in college, he never knew what he wanted to do for a living; become a writer or a musician. He didn't know what his calling was. This is the case while an adult. He didn't know what he really wanted to do with his life, so he quit his jobs, hoping to find something that he really feels drawn to.
James grows up, and follows two professions. his money making one is being a reporter. He is really good at his job, and lands some very good and steady positions. His other profession is music. He loves music, and retreats into jazz whenever he can. Music helped him put his life back on track after his addiction, and he still plays it.
When he grows up James constantly switches back and forth between these two careers. He is a journalist for one paper, then he quits. He goes of for a while and play the saxophone in the subway station. Then he gets hired for another paper, and after some time, he quits to pursue music.
James grew up unsure of who he was, and about the one person he love the most; his mother's past. He doubted many things like the question of race, and spent his life thinking. This quitting shows he is still unsure of who he is and what to do in life.
James never can put up with a job. He finds it hard to find his ambition. He thinks his true ambition is music. When he finds a jobs his "Musical Career" gets in the way of it. He'll get a great job but then think of what could've been if he had pursued music. To me this proves his passions are more important to him then having a good job. Imagine if James became a dentist. How would he feel midway in his career at the point of no return and have to deal with that cringing feeling of "Could've been". This connects to his Mom because she kept moving on. James just kept moving on and never settling. The feeling of the wrong choice doesn't sit well in his family either. Even his Mom had trouble with decisions even the minuscule ones. James also might have been affected by his family and how musically talented they were and are. His sisters were all great dancers. Richie was amazing at saxophone. Even his father was a musician. He could've felt like his family in sense was attached to music and he needed pursue that attachment. -Pablo
James quit many jobs all the time for two reasons. The first reason is because he is torn between music and writing. The other reason is because he never knew who he was. He says, "It took many years to find out who she was partly because i never knew who i was. It wasn't so much a question of searching for myself as it was my own decision not to look." It was interesting that he would get a great job and then be a musician for a while. As James was growing up he says "... I was confused about issues of race." He also says "... When i found myself squeezed between black and white, i fled to black side ... and did not emerge unless driven out by smoke and fire." He would quit also because this whole time he was in conflict. It took James a long time to get out of this conflict and i think writing this book helped him learn about himself which is helping him figure out who he is and who he wants to be.
The complete answer to the question is a paragraph in the book. He says, "But i did quit, partly because i got tired of running, and partly because the little ache i have known as a boy was no longer a little ache when i reached thirty. It was a giant, roaring, musical riff, screaming through my soul like a distorted rock guitar with the sound turned all the way up, telling me, Get on with your life: Play sax, write books, compose music, do something, express yourself, who the hell are you anyway? There are two worlds bursting inside me trying to get out. I had to find out more about who i was, and in order to find out who i was, i had to find out who my mother was."
This is Jamie
I think that James would not keep a job for a long time because he was striving for complee satisfaction. He could never find a vocation that addressed all of his talents and loves while challenging him as well.
This also resembled Ruth's incapability of keeping a house. I think that that was for the same reason too. She was always looking for the right place. The place that would be perfect and that would address all of her needs. I think everyone goes through these experiences in their lives but for different reasons. For James, I think he couldnt keep a job because he was still trying to figure out his identity and who he was exactly and for Ruth, she already knew who she was but throughout her life, she had gone though so many obstacles, all that changed her life in some way or another. She aready knew who she was but since she did not have one identity for most of her life and she had finally found who she was and achieved her destiny, she sill needed that comfort of some part of her life changing rapidly.
I think that Ruth is a great example of showing that you do not find exactly who you are until the end of your life. Even as you get older, you still need to try and experience new things because you never know what affect something might have on you. James quitting his jobs was him trying to find who he was only to find that each thing was different and gave him something different. He would never know what job or path was the most perfect until the end of his life. Same for Ruth.
The reason James quits many of his jobs is because he is trying to find who he is and what he wants to pursue, journalism or being a musician. "After I graduated from Oberlin College, I began a process of vacillating between music and writing that would take eight years to complete before i realized i could work successfully as a writer and musician." By finding out who he was James felt in the beginning that he had to chose between being a musician or writer. That is the reason why James quit multiple jobs even though he was a talented writer. I also believe that James found it difficult to stay put at one job was he didn't know of his family history, so going down south to where his mother grew up and then writing this book helped him to learn what Ruth tried to hide from her children and escape. I think James' perpetual quitting is connected to, i agree with peter, jake, and noah, his mother Ruth. Throughout the book, it seems Ruth can't seem to stay somewhere if something goes wrong or is a reminder to her grim childhood. This gives the impression that Ruth couldn't face her fears but only run away from them. In a similar state, James would write at night to be away from the reality of difference or the synergy between black and white that was inside him but found it difficult to burst out.
James could never stay with one job because he didn't know who he was. he didn't know what he believed in, what his morals were are what it was that he represented.he "trys out" so many jobs because he also struggles with the question of what career he wants to pursue, writing or music. But through his prcocess of jumping from job to job, james realizes that he could never figure out who he was until he knew who his mother was. one theme throughout this process is confusion. He is confused as to who he wants to become. he is confused about his family, his mother, and the road to which he will take as he advances in his life. james is confusesd about his life, but knows that he just needs time to figure out what he wants.
james quits many jobs because he trys to find himself. He wanted to write and play music but didn't know that he can do both. During these jobs he wants to write about himself. He knows that writing for newspapers and magazines is not for him, in away he doesnt feel complete. This symbol connects to his mother in quitting also how his mother chooses to move all the time.
James is continuously conflicted by the reappearance of racism and is troubled by his confusing childhood. he quits so much because he feels that he wants to find himself, his family. So the idea of not knowing seems to bug him so he tries to take breaks from life by playing the sax. I think this connects to his insecurity as a child.
James didn't keep his job at all the newspapers and other places he got hired at becuase he was not sure weather he wshed to be a writer or a musian. He keeped quiting jobs becuase he was unsure about what he wanted to do. I think that also his fahter wanting to be a musician also made hium even more unsure bevause he wanted to be like his father beuase he never met him and he wished to be as much as him as possible even if he "didn't really meet him". None, of those jobs satisfy him he wasnts so many things and doesn't know what to take and what to leave behind. I agree with Peter this is also shows the similaritiess between him and his mother. They both are used of escaping and avioding things. They keep runing away from things an d situations. I also think that he turned these offers down becuase he was not 100% of what he wanted to do.
James is a hard worker, a very bright person with a complicated life. James went through a lot of ups and downs in his childhood and adult life. Through out his life he's always trying to find the true him and what truly lies deep within him. He still trying to find his place in life, and what he wants to settle down in doing for his career. Does he want to be a musician, or a waiter, an accountant. These are really big decisions for him. He didn't make a lot of his own decisions his whole life, his mom did. But now that he's on his own he can't rely on someone else to run it for him. He quit so many jobs because he didn't like them or it just wasn't for him. He's a person who wasn't necessarily encouraged all the time. He never really knew or thought about his future. Now that he's older its a much bigger situation for him to deal with especially that he never really talked to his mom about what his future might be. If he just gets a wake up call or a sign, or realizes that he needs to follow his dreams. He might not quit jobs anymore, he might go into a good business and enjoy his career. A sign or a wake up call is all he needs.
James quit many jobs as a young adult. He moved on from one job to the next, never quite satisfied. This way of moving along quickly and often reminds me of the way that his mother Ruth moves and is always running. Ruth runs from place to place, riding subways, walking, biking, and changing cities and states. She is constantly on the move, and when James was still figuring out who he was he was in motion most of the time as well.
James was annoyed and confused by many people he worked with. He never felt that the job he had at the moment was right. Ruth would get mad at him for doing so, even though she moved in similar ways. He wanted to know who he was, and the only way he could do that was by finding out who his mother was. He realized this later. At first he goes from job to job, wherever he went there was always a desire to do what he wanted to do, which was play music and write on his own accord.
He quit many jobs because he was never quite satisfied. It seems that when he started to work on The Color of Water and find out more about his and his mothers past, he was satisfied.
James could not stick to one occupation because he was unsure as to what he wanted to persue in his life. He was stuck between music and writing. He did not know which path to follow and felt that he could not follow both at the same time. He kept switching jobs because he could not mix both writing and music. He was never satisfied and always longing for something else.
James grew up in a world where his mother was never 100% sure about the next move or what she wanted to do.
James loves writing and playing music, but he was never sure what he wanted to do for a living. He had to find his nitch in life.
Also, the journalism jobs that he had never satisfied him. The colleagues that he had, sometimes tried to empathize with the people that they were writing about or black people in general, but they did not know how it really was growing up amdist segrigation and poverty. James feels that they are phony, and where he is writing for is not what he really wants, so he ends up quitting and going back to his first love music. (Mind you, James does this multiple times.) James is not totally satisfied unless he is fufilling his heart. Writing for others maybe was not, but playing music was.
James is confused about the person he is supposed to become. He does not know that he is allowed to be more then one thing is his life. He quits his job so many times because he doesn't feel that he is fulfilling his life correctly. James does not know what to follow so he does what his heart tells him to. His heart tells him to become a musician and a writer. His music was the one component that help him complete himself and also helped his writing. Being able to play music James was able to complete his life, and ultimately himself.
I agree with Peter, that unsatisfactory lead to running. In this case that met quitting diffrent jobs. The running that was included in his childhood caught on ro him. James was really never use to anything stable. The only real passion that really connected with him was music. I think because music was creative and there was never a weong answer. Through some of the book he choose the wrong answer. He has so many good things going for him, but is not sure how to react.
I agree with many, and feel that though james was earning a stable income and seemed satisfied with the way his career was going he still had an urge to chase his dream of becoming a musician. He believed that similarly to the to such controversial races dominant in his heritage his dreams shared their controversy and confusion.
His career was practical yet his passion wild, exiting and unpredictable . I believe that James passion for music may have in-fact been linked to the father he was never given the chance to get close to yet idolized rather his writing career linked to the moral's of stability so greatly enforced in his family.
I feel james also provokes the hectic emotions present in a teenager throughout his life adding to the stress of having the choices apparent in his adult life.
I think that after James finished school, he has so much of a passion for music that his heart/gut tells him to quit all of the jobs until he finds the one that involves being with the music. You don't have a passion for anything by just watching or listening to it. A real passion is something you are addicted to, always would like to do it, and it is something that is fun. You don't have a passion for music unless you eat sleep and breathe music. You have to feel the music flow through you. But most importantly, you have to be with the music. James is all of these things. He keeps quitting jobs until he finds the one for him involving music. Now that is a passion for music. I think that this also connects to his drop off of religion and school. Just this doesn't have the same effect on your life that cutting school and losing your religion do. (Brandon)
james was constantly fliping between being a writer or a musician. one of the few times he stays in on job is when he researches his family. his family history was more important than his job at the time. eventualy he learned you could do both. he got to work at the two things he loved most about his life. he grew up wanting to be a musicion but grew into wrighting and soon wanted to do that too. he constantly quits jobs because he can't decide which he wants to do more, write or play music.
Ruth's father is one of the quiters in the story. he quit Ruths's mom and he quit his religeon when they no longer served him. james quit jobs because he could not deside not because they no longer interested or served his purpouse. in this respect, james is like his father Dennis. Dennis couldn't stay with a job becaus he had different callings. he settled as a minnister because his religeon took priority over work and he found a way to combine the two. Ruth quit new york when she could no longer cope with the pain it had caused her and had to leave for her own soul. james has enharited his need to quit from manny sources in his life. this is the reason he could not hold a job. he didn't know he could hold two jobs.
James quits many of his jobs after graduate school for various reasons. The most important reason. I think is because those weren't the right jobs for him. Those weren't the jobs that were meant for. He probably also wanted to do something else instead of this because he knew he could become someone very great in life who could make a difference. This job was becoming an author. Both of his fathers inspired him to become a better person. When he "lost" his stepfather it was a tough time for him because he was what kept him in school. He always told him to do the right things. Before he left he said "'Y'all are special.'he said 'And so special to me.'" Even James said he never talked like that and from that moment on he knew that his father was going to die. He ran away from his problems because sometimes the truth can be scary and people don't like to hear the truth because it is too painful to bare. Quitting also connects to his mother running away from her family because she couldn't take it anymore. She ran away from her problems because it was too painful. James was following what his mom did, but it just made it worse. At the end of the book James learned not to run away from his problems.
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