Ruth Character Analysis in Mexican Gothic

Ruth is Howard’s niece. She died after shooting Howard, her fiancé, and her mother. Ruth fell in love with an indigenous miner named Benito, but Howard had already arranged Ruth’s marriage to her cousin, and when he found out about Ruth’s feelings, he beat her mercilessly. Ruth knew about Howard’s immortality and his ability to control people though the gloom, and she decided that she was going to escape from High Place. This required killing Howard, but she didn’t believe that there was anything wrong with that—Howard is evil. She shot Howard twice during her escape attempt, but he didn’t die; he controlled Ruth through the gloom and forced her to kill herself. Thus, Ruth is a model for feminine resistance against Howard’s patriarchal authority. Her attempt was not successful, but it does serve as a precedent for future women to emulate. Furthermore, Ruth’s frequent directive to Noemí to open her eyes during her dreams serves as both a warning and a call to action—Noemí’s own escape attempt wouldn’t succeed if Ruth’s actions didn’t guide her.

Ruth Quotes in Mexican Gothic

The Mexican Gothic quotes below are all either spoken by Ruth or refer to Ruth. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Sexism, Female Independence, and Power Theme Icon

Once could conclude that this was a case of three silly, nervous women. Physicians of old would have diagnosed it as hysterics. But one thing Noemí was not was hysterical.

Related Characters: Noemí Taboada (speaker), Ruth, Catalina

Page Number and Citation: 173

Explanation and Analysis:

Noemí clacked her teeth together in fear and thought to cry too, but then she recalled the words, the mantra.

“Open your eyes,” Noemí said.

And Noemí did. She opened her eyes, and the room was dark.

Related Characters: Noemí Taboada (speaker), Ruth

Page Number and Citation: 234

Explanation and Analysis:

Ruth Character Timeline in Mexican Gothic

The timeline below shows where the character Ruth appears in Mexican Gothic. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...are cursed. Yes, there was an epidemic, but that’s not where the stories end. Miss Ruth, Howard’s precious daughter, shot her own family. It’s a famous story in El Triunfo, but... (full context)

Ruth was Howard’s daughter, his darling child who wanted for nothing. She was going to marry... (full context)

...appears, she asks him who it is, and he tells her that it’s his cousin, Ruth. Noemí has never seen the face of a killer. She recalls what Virgil said about... (full context)

Noemí says she’s heard about Ruth. She killed several people before killing herself. Francis points out all the people Ruth killed:... (full context)

...to find it. In the hallway she sees a woman staring back at her. It’s Ruth. She wears a white dressing gown, and her hair is like a golden halo. She... (full context)

The man sits up and extends his arms towards Ruth, as if demanding an embrace. Ruth raises the rifle, and Noemí turns her head away.... (full context)

...Catalina’s problems, though, because High Place is cursed. Noemí asks Marta if she knows why Ruth killed her family. Marta says that an explanation requires that she tell another story. She... (full context)

The mine went on, Howard remarried, and his new wife gave birth to a girl, Ruth. Years passed. Aurelio’s nephew, Benito, worked in the house. Though Ruth was supposed to marry... (full context)

Marta continues her story. After Howard found out, Ruth was punished. Benito vanished. Some said he ran off, others said Howard ordered him killed.... (full context)

...and she tells him that she talked to someone about High Place and the murders Ruth committed. Ruth wanted to run away with her lover, but instead she shot her whole... (full context)

...Florence, tried to leave High Place, but she came back. There’s no escaping it, and Ruth knew that. That’s why she did it. Noemí suggests that Francis almost sounds proud of... (full context)

...written in Catalina’s script, “this is proof.” The paper appears to have been torn from Ruth’s diary. She was hearing voices and was preparing to do something dangerous. This place may... (full context)

Noemí is in disbelief; could this really be a page from Ruth’s diary? Where could Catalina have found this? Catalina wrote that this was proof, but proof... (full context)

...he was teaching him how to be strong. In those moments, he would think that Ruth was right to shoot him. Only she couldn’t finish him off. Uncle Howard is a... (full context)

...protests, but Francis tells her that it’s too late. The fungus won’t let her leave. Ruth tried hard to escape—she shot Howard, but even that wasn’t enough. He survived. But his... (full context)

...Howard. He knows that people must obey him willingly, otherwise it’s too exhausting. That’s why Ruth was able to grab a rifle, and why the miners were able to organize a... (full context)

Francis leaves and Noemí falls asleep. She dreams that Ruth stands at the foot of her bed. Noemí asks if Ruth can hear her, but... (full context)

...Virgil tells him that there’s still much for Noemí to do—Florence is trying to find Ruth’s old wedding dress. The ceremony will be soon. Noemí asks why they’re even bothering with... (full context)

...for a weapon, a rifle or a gun. But there aren’t any, not after what Ruth did. (full context)

...transmigration must take place soon. Howard’s body is falling apart; it’s never healed right since Ruth shot him. Then Francis reveals that he can’t escape with Noemí. The fungus connects him... (full context)

...her own for the first time. She lies down to sleep and continuously thinks about Ruth. Eventually she dreams. Noemí and Ruth sit in the cemetery, beneath the statue of Agnes.... (full context)

Noemí asks Ruth if she knows a way for a Doyle to leave High Place and never return.... (full context)

...her throat. A wave of disgust overtakes her body, and she thinks of Catalina and Ruth and Agnes and the terrible things the family has done to them—things they will now... (full context)

...gloom on him and that Francis will not be able to resist. She realizes that Ruth didn’t shoot herself—rather, Howard forced her to kill herself in a desperate act to save... (full context)

...calls his name, but so does Howard, and Francis ignores her. “It’s in the blood,” Ruth had said. Noemí raises the rifle and shoots Howard twice. Francis snaps awake, and Howard... (full context)

...He couldn’t do it himself because Howard had too much control over him. He forced Ruth to kill herself, after all. That’s why he needed Noemí to do it. And she... (full context)

Ruth Character Analysis

Ruth Quotes in Mexican Gothic

Chapter 16 Quotes

Chapter 21 Quotes

Ruth Character Timeline in Mexican Gothic