Point of View

Ruth is written entirely from a third person, omniscient narrator. This narrator is able to narrate any and all actions that occur within the story and is able to describe the thoughts and motivations of all of the characters. This narrative style allows the reader to see how each character’s thoughts, words, and actions contribute to the outcome of the story. If, for example, the story were told only from Ruth’s point of view, it would be impossible to see how other characters contributed to her “fall” through their selfishness or cruelty. Because the narrator lets us into each characters’ head, we are able to see that Ruth is not the only sinner. Though Ruth is the main character and we mostly closely follow her story, the narrator also follows Mr. Benson, Faith, Sally, the Bradshaws, and Mr. Bellingham/Donne separately from Ruth...