Second Blog

From the many discussions that we have had in class in reference to Ruth Hall, one topic was of particular interest to me. I really liked how the author Franny Fern made her characters have this subtle way of transcending their influence on to others. Mrs. Hall one of the main antagonists in the story is a fickle woman that's very set in her ways. Being in the time period that she was raised in she had learned how to strategically be abrasive to be the dominant figure in her house hold. Though she seems to hold a great disdain for our protagonist Ruth I believe that Mrs. Hall doesn't want to hate Ruth entirely if she knows she could control her.


When Ruth came into the picture Mrs. Hall felt threatened and had to lay down her authority as thick      as she possibly could to make sure Ruth knew her rightful place. One scene in particular came up  
where Ruth and Mrs. Hall had their first encounter with each other. Mrs. Hall was belittling Ruth's     upbringing and then brought up how it wouldn't be wise to allow Ruth to be control of any form of finances.
    "In those cases, it will be best for you to pass it over to me to keep of course you can always have it   


    again, by telling me how you wish to spend it. I would advise you, too, to lay by all your handsome 


   clothes. As to the silk stockings you were married in, of course you will never be so extravagant as to 


   wear them again. I never had a pair of silk stockings in my life; they have a very silly, frivolous look."


(Fern 13)

Mrs. Hall leaves no room for discussion and also makes Ruth feel as if she was incompetent being a woman. After Mrs. Hall continues degrading Ruth it seems that Mrs. Hall wants to make an effort to try and accept her daughter in law if she were to let go of one of her physical attributes such as her hair. This action would be evidence for Mrs. Hall that she does have control over Ruth and can be more welcoming instead of shrewd. "Do you know I should like your looks better, if you didn't curl your hair?" (Fern 13)

Ruth later answers in turn that her hair curled naturally which was representation that she could never conform to Mrs. Hall's ways. There was no way to change Ruth, it wasn't part of her to be a conformist and she would naturally fight to protect what she was as an individual.