Ruth (1853)

This novel invites comparisons to "The Scarlet Letter," in that it explores many of the same themes of redemption and deception. But, it is much more realistic than Hawthorne's horrid novel (which I have reviled here), and ends by being a kind of feminist pro-life riff.

Read more at: http://thegrimreader.blogspot.com/2012/11/i-recount-my-recent-gaskell-jag.html ( )

I was unfamiliar with Elizabeth Gaskell’s work until I saw the BBC production of Wives and Daughters. This story I enjoyed so much that I sought out further of Gaskell’s works, beginning with Ruth.

Ruth has all the elements of a perfect Victorian storm: the young eponymous heroine is orphaned, turned out by her guardian, seduced and impregnated by a wretch with enough wealth to be considered a gentleman, and then deserted by same. She is subsequently taken in as a “widow” by the kindly Bensons; alas, it is a deceit they are not able to sustain indefinitely. The discovery that Ruth is a “depraved” woman naturally has far-reaching implications for her “bastard” son. Indeed, she is reminded that the implications are eternal: “Those wild autumnal storms had torn aside the quiet flowers and herbage that had gathered over the wreck of her early life and shown her that all deeds, however hidden and long passed by, have their eternal consequences.” (258)

This Penguin Classics edition notes, and I agree, “In writing Ruth, Elizabeth Gaskell daringly confronted prevailing views about sin and illegitimacy with her compassionate and honest portrait of a ‘fallen woman.’ (back cover) Among the things I did not like about Ruth: I had difficulty buying into the absoluteness of Ruth’s ignorance and naiveté, youth and lack of parental guidance aside. And a substantial portion of the text was slow for me; the novel took me longer than usual to see my way through.

Truthfully, I wanted to enjoy this read more than I did. Still, I recommend it if you are able to look past these minor faults. ( )

"Fans of social realism will appreciate the surprisingly nuanced and multi-faceted perspective on Victorian era morals and mores offered in Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell's sweeping novel Ruth. The story follows the fortune of Ruth, an orphan who is tricked into an intimate relationship with an aristocrat who later abandons her when she is pregnant with his child. Ruth, distraught, struggles with the social strictures that paint her as an irredeemable sinner. Can she and her child survive? Read Ruth to find out.
Publishing Details
Publisher: Floating Press, The
Date: February 14, 2011
ISBN13: 9781775450054
ISBN: 1775450058
File types: Mobile, ePub

i love elizabeth gaskell novels in general ( )

This moral tale is told well and truly. There are the usual Victorian coincidences to move the plot along, although none that seem forced or unlikely. The backdrop of the tension between Anglicans and Dissenters, Whigs and Tories, rich and poor, show the tribalism that often causes misunderstanding and conflict, and makes humans treat individuals poorly in order to be admired by, or to further the perceived interests of, some group. The story is remarkable in that none of the characters is completely good or completely bad. Even the characterizations of minor characters hint at a full humanity. The author's motif that individual character and circumstances are so interwoven in determining what kind of person will result; and that even an admirable characteristic may be the cause of human flaw if it is nurtured in the wrong circumstances. For example, Ruth's pliable nature results in an admirable ability to learn her duty when she lives with the good influence of the Bensons, where that same pliancy had earlier caused her downfall by the seducing Bellingham. Interestingly enough, it is Jemima who is able to recognize the truth that changed circumstances could have resulted in a changed character, in regard to Ruth, and also in regard to herself. Jemima is able to see the good in Ruth that contrasts so much with her outward sins, as well as her [Jemima's] own inward evil despite her outward virtue. ( )