Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell
Publisher: eBooks@Adelaide 2009
ISBN/ASIN: B006BAX1I6
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.
Literature & Fiction Literary Elizabeth Gaskell

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