The Color of Water Post #4: Reflections on Truth-Telling

I think the author had to fill in memories from his childhood. Those moments were farther back in the past, and human memory doesn’t serve us that well. You also have to fill in dialogue and feelings, or reactions. I think that this is a good technique to use when trying to make a point or make the story stand out more. For example, the author shares a story of when one of his big sisters ran away, he uses a lot of dialogue in the story, and tells about his family’s reactions. He says, “We sat straight up. Downstairs, Helen and Rosetta were having a fight. …not even the boldest of them, … fooled with Rosetta. Rosetta was the resident queen of the house. I heard the sound of a coat tearing. Rrrrrrip!

‘You b***h!’ Helen screamed. I heard fists landing on flesh. Rosetta roared.

Kathy started to cry. ‘Be quiet,’ I said. Cursing in my house was not allowed. Cursing was out of bounds. Cursing meant things were out of control.

More commotion. I heard the boys downstairs saying, ‘All right, break it up. Hold her, Billy, wait—‘ Boom! Laughter by the boys, an agonized cry by Rosetta. ‘Oh, you’re gonna get it now!” Whomp! Helen’s scream. Another tussle. The sound of furniture flying, David shouting, a lamp breaking. More laughter and cursing . . . A vehement argument ensued, and I heard Helen declare she was leaving. Suddenly the boys got serious.” The story continues with Helen leaving to stay with their older sister, and then leaving altogether. The author was spying on his siblings with his younger sister Kathy so he doesn’t really know what happened, he’s just filling in the details. This shows how using this technique makes a story pop and adds more excitement.