Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth Character Analysis

Ruth: As Stronger After Having Leonard Out-of-WedlockRuth is the main character in Elizabeth Gaskell's novel“Ruth.'' She is presented as a woman who is strengthened by her predicaments in life. At only the age of sixteen, an orphan Ruth befriends Mr. Bellingham after he convinces her that heis in love with her. Ruth becomes Mr. Bellingham's mistress. Soon afterward after Bellingham falls sick, his mother uses this opportunity to separate Ruth from him. She turns out to be an abandoned, lonely, pregnant and moneyless lady who must work her way through. Instead of becoming weaker due to her out-of-wedlock birth of her son, Ruth becomes stronger both emotionally and spiritually. On a keen analysis of Ruth's development throughout the novel, several

In this regard, it is first crucial to understand that the Victorian society was based on strict morals that considered people who failed to conform to its demands as outcasts. In the novel, the author presents the readers with two forms of outcasts including a fallen woman who was Ruth and an illegitimate child in Leonard. When Ruth moved into Benson's house, they thought that it was necessary to hide her true identity so that her past could not be revealed. However, through several coincidental circumstances, her true identity was revealed, and she was therefore viewed as an outcast. People like Bradshaw, who took pride in strict adherence to moral character, immediately fired Ruth and regretted having ever allowed her access to his house. The society viewed that getting pregnant outside the realms of wedlock was equivalent to immorality. Therefore, the biological product of such a union would also be regarded as illegitimate. Although it was right, through the societal lenses, that Ruth was immoral, it is importantto appreciate the fact that her initial lover, Mr. Bellingham was responsible for her outcast status.Through the person of Ruth, the reader is also able to appreciate the position of the woman in the society. The society is keen to judge women who break the moral standards but does not bother to find out the irresponsibility that is shown by individuals such as Mr. Bellingham. In conclusion, Ruth is a strong woman, both spiritually and emotionally as she agrees to accept the outcomes of her immoral acts. She invests all her energy in the cleaning of her mistakes by giving her son the best motherly care she could ever get. It is also critical to analyze the Victorian society which has strict moral dictums that cannot be compromised. However, Ruth is given a second chance and uses it to make herself and Leonard