In the book “Ruth Hall” by Fanny Fern, Ruth a mother of three, one died and a few years later her husband as well. She is left in a position were no family should be. In the book Ruth received little to no sympathy what so ever, I say no she does revived a little sympathy but it’s not the sympathy that we call a good sympathy this is what I like to call bad sympathy. As we can see it would seem that Ruth is not receiving any sympathy from her family member and as well as her in-laws.

But I say look a bit closer to her father. According to the definition of sympathy is a “Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune” it would have seem that Ruth father Mr. Ellet have some kind of remorse for his daughter. The evidence is shown on page 77, where Mr. Ellet paid a little visit to the Doctor house, he started to talk how his daughter is taking her husband death very hard. Right there it would seem that he have some sort of sympathy for her, he then ask the doctor if he could take the children from her. Ok right there it would seem that that is being evil and all but look again on page 78 he said “that the children would be better off with the doctor”. Then again on the same page number “then her hands would be free to earn her own living, and she’s none too good for it, either’. It would seem that Ruth father is being sympathetic enough for that time period. We have to remember at that time men came in the world and in marriage. So it would seem that he Mr. Ellet has sympathy for Ruth but not enough for our standard for today.