The Color of Water is both an autobiography and a tribute to author James McBride’s mother, Ruth McBride. It is a compelling story that is rich with character. There are many other characters in literature that Ruth McBride can be compared to, one of them being Nora Helmer from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Comparing and contrasting these two very deep and very interesting characters can help us to find out more about each of them, and how they fit into the real world, and how they fit into the world of Literature.

In The Color of Water Ruth McBride is a Jewish girl who comes to America with her family. They spend a lot of time traveling while her father tries to find work as a rabbi. This aspect of Ruth’s life is very different from A Doll’s House in that Nora Helmer is a married women who seems to be more privileged than Ruth. Also, while both women in these stories have to overcome certain odds, the physical abuse is seen only in Ruth’s situation.

Even though there are several differences, many similarities can also be found between these two characters. Both of these women are forced to overcome very negative situations. In Ruth’s life she has to deal with physical and sexual abuse, as well as adapting to her new world that she is forced to live in. In Nora’s life she is trying to deal with the fact that she is viewed as a “doll” and that her husband doesn’t see her as an equal.

On the surface these two stories may seem very different. However, when you take a deeper look you can find many similarities between the characters, their stories, and the messages that the authors are attempting to convey to the audience. They are both well-written and compelling pieces of literature that compare and contrast in several different ways.