Ruth Emeraldine (Apter)

Ruth Emeraldine (who later takes the name Ruth Apter after marrying Robert) is the main protagonist and the one that the narration follows most closely. At the beginning of the novel, Ruth is a 34-year-old assistant director of her father's project, Emeraldine Hospital, where she treats those suffering from extreme mental illnesses. Unlike other doctors and nurses outside of her job (and even some she interacts with inside), Ruth believes that everyone deserves the same amount of care and respect, regardless of how their illnesses manifest. This is why she intervenes for someone like Penelope when another doctor forcefully restrains her or how Ruth can calm down even the most aggressive of patients. In some ways, Ruth's big heart gets in the way of her goals as she convinces herself that the lobotomies are working because she wants her patients to live better lives. However, Ruth...