Book Of Ruth Analysis

Ruth and Boaz – “But in his integrity, Boaz chooses to embrace the responsibility of a patriarch and become Ruth’s go’el – her ‘kinsman-redeemer” (42).

Mary Rowlandson was a devoted, Puritan woman of the 1600’s who would eventually go on to pave the way for an entire genre—the captivity genre/narrative. She had several family members murdered and was held captive by Native Americans, but was eventually reunited with her fellow Puritans. She details her experiences in A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. Rowlandson showcases her biblical typology many times and her story and a prime example shown is when she writes, “… my heart began to fail: and I fell aweeping… Although I had met with so much affliction… yet I could not shed one tear…” (Rowlandson 279). She uses typology to understand what is going on in her life and around her and this is displayed when she adds, “But now I may say as Psalm 137.1, ‘By the Rivers of Babylon, there we sate down: yea, we wept when we remembered Zion,” (Rowlandson 279). She used the bible to understand her experiences rather than to see what it is like. She wrote during a very devout, religious era and

while Ruth May choose to stay by her mother's side. Ruth in the Bible, she was a form of

Reba’s aunt, Ruth Foster, has a name that is also associated with a character in the Bible, also named Ruth. In the Bible, after her husband died, Ruth faithfully stays with her mother-in-law, refusing to leave. One of Ruth’s most notable quotes from the Bible is as follows: “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” (Ruth 1:16-17). In this quote, the reader can see that Ruth is willing to stay by her mother-in-law’s side no matter what, even claiming that she would even die with her. Naomi, her mother-in-law, is a constant reminder of Ruth’s husband, and she refuses to leave her because Naomi is the only reminder she has of her late husband. In Song of Solomon, after

* This chapter was written in Italics because it was written from a different point of view which was Ruth’s perspective who talks about her past as a child.

Mameh made a significant impact on her daughter because her kindness and ability to persevere through tough situations taught Ruth to never give up on her life and family. When Ruth decides to leave Suffolk for good, Mameh tries to persuade her daughter to stay, but Ruth replies with, “‘I can’t live here, Mameh,’ and she didn’t bring it up ever again or ask me to stay any longer” illustrating that Mameh knows there is nothing left for Ruth, and even though Mameh needs people to take care of her, she chooses to put her family first (McBride 214). Ruth values her mother's selflessness, and makes sure that she does the same for her own children as well. Another characteristic that Ruth admires is her mother’s ability to not stand down, even though she is constantly abused and insulted by her husband. After Tateh gets another girlfriend, he tries to get Mameh to divorce him, but Ruth, who is caught in the middle, writes “She refused, and I could understand her dilemma

In the book, The Color of Water, Ruth’s past is very unknown and hidden to all of her children. James wants to find out more about his mother’s past so he decides to go to his mother’s old synagogue. In Chapter 22, James travels to downtown Suffolk in search for the Shilsky’s family to furthermore reveal his mother’s secretive past.

In The Eyes in the Trees, the metaphor of Methuselah as the Congo comes full circle when Ruth May

Ruth felt connected to black culture in Harlem because she was never part of a group where she felt welcomed. She would support the Civil Rights acts as if they were her own. On the other hand, she felt rather excluded from the people living in the South. As she had a growing family to take care of, she would be in need of family and financial support, but they would purposely shun her. At a young age, Ruth a practicing Jew was ridiculed and bullied by classmates who were gentiles. It affected her so much she changed her name so she could fit in more, “My real name was Rachel, … but I used the name Ruth around white folk, because it didn't sound so Jewish, though it never stopped the other kids from teasing me” (McBride 80). Her parents forced Judaism on her, causing her to resent religion; therefore, she converted to Christianity when she was an adult. This conversion helped rediscover herself and create a new relationship with God. Ruth’s adult life changed significantly from her life in Suffolk. She needed some relief after separating from her family so she embraced her new religion and found the relief in practicing Christianity. Lastly, Ruth had two integrated marriages that changed her life and brought out the best of her; unfortunately, both died and Ruth was a widow who had to raise and support

Ruth May is the innocent one and her words and actions deceive the guilty, her family. She acts as the means that separate the family apart. Her religion is found in her innocence, which keep her from the hardships that surrounds her. Ruth May doesn't understand the Bible to its full content at age five, however God's spirit is present in her aura which allows her pureness to bless others around her. When she plays her games, it seems as though the Congolese feel her pure spirit and therefore join her in the act, something they would never do with another white. Ruth May symbolizes how the spirit of God affects the lives of those who cannot reject him, for due to their ignorance they don't follow him.

2) What is revealed about Ruth and where she has been? What is she thinking about doing, and why might she be considering such a thing

Secondly genre is the French word meaning type. Genres may be approached by way of various critical avenues. In the Aristotelian strain we recognize genres as kinds within a system of classification. These categories beg further definition, so there is a history of, on the one hand, the refinement of divisions and subdivisions, and on the other a Platonic search for the 'essential' qualities of tragedy, comedy, epic poetry, and so forth. By the recognition of genres we begin to find our way in the universe of verbal artifacts with their feigned discourses, and to train our expectations upon the experience that lies in wait for us.

In the bible The Book of Ruth follows the story of the widowed Naomi and her two widowed daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Throughout the story, the three experience life during biblical times. Although the time frame of this particular passage of the bible is widely debated amongst scholars, most believe that it took place during the Period of the Judges. Through reading about these ordinary people, one can tell that their everyday life was generally uneventful. People often worked in fields to provide for their families and for generations to come. The women of the Book of Ruth lived simple lives, placing high value on loyalty to the family, the continuation of family lines, and marriage.

Between the roles of the two woman, it is apparent that Ruth’s role is more favorable in the eyes of characters

of God in the story of Ruth, as well as in modern society, is eliminated.