Why did Ruth Hall's parents treat her so differently as opposed to Hyacinth, whom it seemed they worshipped on a silver platter

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2000

Answers

Ruth's parents didn't treat her that much differently. Her dad was very very against her. but her mom was the same person to both of the children. Mr. Ellet didn't know how to treat a girl he was in fact very uncomfortable being around Ruth. Everything became her fault and she was just a burden to him. So he got her married off he was looking for the easy way out of the situation.Mrs. Ellet actually tried to defend Ruth most of the time.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2000

I think that it especially seemed that Mr. Ellet treated Ruth different than Hyacinth after she married Harry. Once she married Harry she was not her family's responsibility anymore. I guess that in the time it was common to not support your daughter after they had married. If this was the case I supose father's looked at their daughters getting married as a blessing because of the money it would save them.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2000

It seems almost every parent has a favorite, some just take it to greater extents. I don't think Ruth's father had a particular reason he didn't seem to like her as much as he did Hyacinth. Maybe he just liked his son more because they have more in common.

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2000

Ruth's mother treated them the same and was fair. Her father on the other hand treats Ruth differently from Hyacinth. I feel he appreciates his son more than he does Ruth. I agree that he has more stuff in common with his son. I feel he does not want to baby Ruth because it might make her a weaker person.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2000

I belive that Ruth was treated so differently by her parents was because maybe they always knew that one day she would marry and move on with her life basically deserting her father; therefore, he never allowed himself to get close to her or to treat her with much respectability.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

I think that Ruth was treated differently by her parents because for one she didn't have a mother and fathers and brothers sometimes tend to seclude the women of the family anyway and also because at first they saw how happy Ruth was with Harry and they were jealous of her good, rich and happy life.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2000