New Year, New Fallen Woman: Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth Readalong

[BishyBarnyBee]

Following the very successful Madame Bovary readalong, we have decided to explore another woman who refused to be bound by contemporary mores.
So shocking at the time, two of Gaskell's friends burnt their copies.

"Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth (1853) was the first mainstream novel to make a fallen woman its eponymous heroine. It is a remarkable story of love, of the sanctuary and tyranny of the family, and of the consequences of lies and deception, one that lays bare Victorian hypocrisy and sexual double-standards. Shocking to contemporary readers, its radical utopian vision of a pure woman faithfully presented predates Hardy's Tess by nearly forty years."

We will aim for two chapters a week - a weekend chapter and a mid week chapter. If I have time, I'll try and do a ChatGPT chapter summary, but anyone else is welcome to jump in if I haven't got there first.

We start 1st Jan, so if you are up for a bit of Victorian passion, guilt, regret and redemption, sign up here!

Aw Buttalapasta. 'Thou'! That's lovely.

I agree that BishyBarnyBee's reviews are virtuosic. Very insightful in selecting and drawing out the main points of each chapter! (Summary is in itself an act of interpretation...)

I was the one who was cross at Sally for chopping off Ruth's hair, but I have definitely warmed to her in this chapter. The detail about her being tempted by the pig is priceless 😂

I also really like the link to modern practices of mindfulness and living in the moment. This is a bit random, but the ancient Roman Stoics had a similar practice, which is also akin to modern mindfulness. It's remarkable to see these connections across centuries, in terms of humans trying to live out their lives and cope with being human.

My favourite bit of the chapter is when Sally finishes her tale and sees that Ruth is asleep. Instead of feeling put out, as most of us might feel if we were telling the story of a proposal and our listener fell asleep, Sally's feeling is of satisfaction. "I thought I'd lost some of my gifts if I could not talk a body to sleep" - love that!

Also really interesting to hear the thoughts that several of you had about the link to present day mindfulness and ancient stoicism.

@Tarahumara yes, Sally has a very strong sense of her own worth which is just lovely. I did wonder if there was a risk of Gaskell patronising her but I think on balance she's just a wonderfully drawn comic character who clearly plays a really important role in the household.

Chapter 17
In which we attend a christening and two tea parties, Jemima Bradshaw falls half in love with Ruth and Bradshaw's partner Farquhar is introduced as a potential suitor.

Ruth's youth, beauty and tragic circumstances have captivated Jemima Bradshaw, and she asks to attend Leonard's christening. The Bensons overcome their slight reservation about this friendship and welcome Jemima to the occasion. The circumstances of Leonard's birth give his christening a particular significance, which puzzles Jemima at the time, but will make sense to her many years later.

The Bradshaws are very conscious of the Benson's poverty, and Jemima is warned not to eat too much. The Bensons have scrimped together a celebratory tea, and there is an irony in the double self-sacrifice - hungry Jemima conscientiously refusing to eat while Miss Benson's spirits are dampened by the rejection of her hard-earned and delicious cakes. Afterwards, there is a chorus of praise for the warm-hearted and genuine Jemima, who compares favourably to her shallow and cowardly brother.

All the Bradshaws are drawn to Ruth's beauty and sweet nature. She and the Bensons spend many evenings in their luxuriously ugly home, where Mr Bradshaw gives them the benefit of his strongly held opinions on many subjects. We see how Bradshaw patronises Thurston but listens more respectfully to his partner, Farquhar. The ladies are not part of these important discussions, forming their own quiet tete-a-tetes, but Ruth observes the debate and draws her own conclusions, finding Farquhar quietly impressive and even likeable.

Afterwards Sally shares the gossip from Bradshaw's Betty - that Farquhar is "thinking of Miss Jemima". Miss Benson dismisses him as old enough to be her father, but Sally grumbles that "there's no need for it to be called nonsense, though he may be 10 years older". Ruth decides such a marriage would be very unlikely.

Need to catch up with the thread as fell behind by a chapter but all caught up and up to date now. My thought’s are Mr Farquhar and Ruth would they get together rather than Miss Jemima. He could be a good match for Ruth.

Thanks @BishyBarnyBee great summary as always

Interesting....

I thought the same @Midnightstar76 We must both want a bit of financial security and stability for our Ruth.
I was very very cross with Thurston and his special christening prayers. If only he’d been C of E and had to stick to the Book of Common Prayer, then none of what we fear is about to happen would come to pass.

Hello.
I've been listening rather than reading along and now I've slowed down a bit I'm really enjoying this book. I often start off on these read along threads but rarely keep going. This must be the furthest I've got ever.

I find these older books very slow. If I'd been reading I would have skipped past most of the chapter about Sally's stories because there's not much action compared to most of the hectic modern books I usually read. But I've taken my time with this one and I'm still here at chapter 17 which feels like an achievement!

I appreciate the chapter summaries because I often listen lying in bed and drop off to sleep and miss something.

I hope to get to the end of the book with you all

Welcome @Rae36 good to hear you're enjoying the book!

I've never stuck with a readalong consistently either - so it was a bit of a risk offering to lead this one! I think you get loads out of them even if you lurk and chip in occasionally, so you are very welcome to post as often or as little as works for you.

I've found Sally's stories a bit of light relief from all the sombre moralising. It is quite slow, isn't it? Very different to my normal reading pace when I rush along and skim the boring bits. But weirdly, doing the chapter summaries has forced me to focus and slow down, and I've really enjoyed it. I'm glad you've found them useful.

I have found them useful, so much so that my book club is starting the ruth readalong, first discussion is in march, and i will be using this thread as there are so many insightful comments

Chapter 18
In which Sally procures some satisfyingly magniloquent words for the satisfaction of teaching Thurstan a lesson, Ruth's offer of congenial employment brings dark clouds on the horizon, but we are promised a happy ending.

Ruth's love of Leonard and her own education bring unforseen happiness and she becomes closer to Sally. Over tea, Sally recalls the golden age of her childhood when butter was cheap and people paid their debts, bemoaning the unseemly degeneracy that is the early 19th Century.

Sally confides that the Bensons think they have given her a pay rise, but she has outwitted them by commissioning a will which leaves all her savings to Thurstan.

Determined to have a good lawyerly will, like the heiress she know herself to be, she pays for parchment, then gives sixpence for every good law-word, considering "testatrix" and "accruing" to be particularly good value.

The prospect of Thurstan being "prettily taken in" when he finds his extra wage given back to him gives her great satisfaction: "it will teach him it's not so easy as he thinks for, to make a woman give up her way".

Now Leonard is weaned, Ruth must earn a living, and fortuitously, the Bradshaws offer her the role of nursery governess. Miss Benson thinks the opportunity perfect, Ruth questions whether she is worthy, and Thurston believes they should tell Bradshaw the truth about Ruth's past. Again, Faith's pragmatism triumphs over Thurston's scruples, and they agree no good can come of exposing Ruth's dark past.

In Chapter 11, Gaskell warned that the decision to pass Ruth off as a widow had turned the hand of fate the wrong way. Now she tells us the scroll of Fate is closed and an ominous future lies ahead - but the chapter ends with a consoling hint of smiles to follow sadness.

Thank you @BishyBarnyBee !

This is a pivotal chapter as there will be repercussions later on following this decision (cue ominous music...)

Once again, Sally's stories
provide much-needed light relief. She really is a gem.

I feel that maybe Sally’s savings will be called upon once Ruth’s past comes out. Do we think all Mrs G’s hints of doom to come are necessary? I wonder why she felt the need to include them.

I am warming to Sally more and more and what a wonderful thing to give back her savings to Thurston. Not sure her intention is good will though but a matter of saying humph I told you so, you can’t raise my wages and get away with it which seems utter madness in the way she thinks. Enjoy the wage Sally and spend on yourself. I agree and predict this money may well go towards Ruth if this all blows up as it may do.

I like all the talk of spring at the beginning as personally I can’t wait for the warmer weather. It’s just been rain, rain rain here in the NW!

Interesting question, @narniabusiness. I quite like hearing Mrs G's voice as it feels like a link to an interesting and brave 19th C woman. But it is basically spoilers, isn't it? It feels as though a political and religious tract is jostling with a Romantic Novel, and the Victorian religious voice wants to draw our attention to the power of goodness, whereas here in the 21st C we're more interested in the ripping yarn!

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh@Midnightstar76 yes, Sally has turned out to be a wonderful character. She's a working class woman being written for comic effect by a middle class author, which could potentially patronising, but I do feel she gives as good as she gets. I love that she has such a strong sense of her own power and is not going to let any of these men - the earnest Thurstan or the clumsy suitor - get the better or her.

She reminds me of my step granny, a war time Lancashire mill worker who looked after her parents until her 50s, had a short but happy marriage to my widowed grandfather, then led a contentedly single life for the rest of her days. She had opinions aplenty and knew how to indulge in small pleasures on a limited budget - Baileys, scones and smoked salmon scraps come to mind. My mum used to say darkly "She'll never remarry now she's got his pension" but I always thought she had the single life absolutely sussed. I think she would have a lot in common with Sally!

I like the sound of your step-granny @BishyBarnyBee Good woman herself!

I think Sally would be great to have at a party :)

Ha ha Sally would indeed be fab at a party, such a character @FuzzyCaoraDhubh

I'm not sure I'd put her in charge of the catering though @Midnightstar76 😁

What - not tempted by 7 different courses from one neck of lamb?

Not entirely 😂

Chapter 19

In which days turn into years as the four loving adults work out how to raise their beloved Leonard while Mr Bradshaw knows a great deal about the principles of righteous parenting but rather less about the nature of his own children.

Six years have passed and Leonard is a tall and noble child with the same unusual beauty and intelligence that distinguishes his mother. None of the four adults has raised a child before and their desire to do the best for little Leonard leads to an intensity which is not always helpful.

When Leonard goes through a phase of lying and exaggerating, the adults determine he must be whipped for his own good, but no-one wants to go through with it. Ruth weeps, Faith changes her mind, Thurstan girds himself to do the right thing but Sally again gets her own way, outdoing Thurstan in a battle of Bible quotes and tartly reminding him that the whole household is built on a lie. Ruth's distress at the idea of the punishment has a chastening effect on young Leonard and he promises to be good in the future.

Faith is shocked to catch sight of herself and see an old woman with white hair, when inside she feels as young as ever. Sally has no time for this and berates her for "calling yoursel' an old woman when you're better than ten years younger than me!" Sally is unchanged by the passage of time and works as hard as ever. She will not be drawn on her actual age, saying only that she will never see 30 again.

The house is still poor but perfectly refined in a simple but lovely way - which can also be said of Ruth. The love and teachings of the household have turned her into a dignified and spiritual beauty, and she could hold her own among the most educated and elevated in the land.

She is much appreciated by her employer Bradshaw, the formidable businessman who judges all by his own standards and has no tolerance for weakness or failure. Bradshaw believes he runs an exemplary household, but we see he has blind spots. His family's fear of his disapproval leads them to hide their true natures. His wife is not as firm as he would like her to be, and murmurs about him behind his back. Jemima sees this and thinks her mother weak and dishonest but Jemima hides her own temper and wilfulness so he rarely sees the worst of his family.

Only Jemima knows that son Richard has inherited his father's judgementalism without his probity. Richard condescendingly boasts about his visit to the theatre then backtracks to warn her she need not mention it. She is surprised and a little disgusted to then hear him curry favour with their father by criticising another young man for playgoing.

But Ruth has little to do with Richard and this is a peaceful interlude for her, both at work and in the happy household with Leonard.

This chapter was a bit odd. I am sure Gaskell is setting up things to come but she ends the chapter 'and then more months and years passed' or words to that effect.

It's like she hadn't learnt how to leave bits out yet.

This book does really need to rev up now : we are nearly halfway through. The beginning was so engaging but the 'fun' characters have gone (Sally aside ) and everyone seems so repressed and moral and dull. This is very different from other Gaskells so I guess she may have learnt her craft more and perhaps seen more in her own life.

Sad to say, I am finding myself force reading .