One of the major themes in the Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton is that throughout our lives we all suffer, but its how we deal with the suffering that determines the quality of our lives. Many individuals suffer their entire lives and never come to grips with it until it is too late. While others suffer and deal with that suffering, leading to much more happier lives May is a character in the Book of Ruth that has dealt with a lot of suffering. It seems that almost her whole life suffering is all she has done. For May, suffering began with childhood and lasted all the way to her own death. We can all clearly see that how May dealt with her suffering, truly did shape how her life turned o ...view middle of the document...
Because of all that suffering May went through early in her life, she became hostile and cruel towards others. She especially was mean towards her daughter, Ruth. It was a complete love and hate relationship. Ruth loved her mother to death, and May showed cruelty towards Ruth almost all of the time. May's ways of showing her "love" towards Ruth was by making her feel as though she was stupid and not worthy of anything. May always said statements like that without ever really thinking about how much it would hurt her child. This was the type of person May had become, one who would make others feel as bad as she felt. Even though May was cruel to most people, to her son she showed nothing but love, so much that it seemed to be obsessive. It seemed as though the only reason May showed any affection towards Matt, her son, was because he was a prodigy. But even towards her "friends", like Mrs. Foote, May would show cruelness. May's hostility shaped the way some people thought of her, leading her to her outcome in life.May's meanness towards other, led her to her horrific and tragic death. May's character was one that was made up of cruelness. Everyone was used to it and accepted it, until...
