Ruth
by Elizabeth Gaskell
Publisher: Chapman and Hall 1853
ISBN/ASIN: B006BAX1I6
Number of pages: 558
Description:
The book is a social novel, dealing with Victorian views about sin and illegitimacy. It is a surprisingly compassionate portrayal of a 'fallen woman', a type of person normally outcast from respectable society. It examines the social stigma of illegitimacy. Ruth goes on to gain a respectable position in society as a governess, and the novel looks at whether the sinful can be reintegrated into society.
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