Ruth Hall

Description

Fanny Fern, known by her real name Sara Payson Willis, was an American newspaper columnist and novelist who achieved great fame and popularity, becoming the highest paid columnist in the US. Her roman a la clef Ruth Hall: A Domestic Tale of the Present Time, is a masked autobiography of the author, in which she described her early life, her happiness with her husband, her impoverished widowhood and her rise to success as an American columnist.

Willis uses roman a la clef genre, or the novel with a key approach, in order to present the ordeals of her own life without identifying with the protagonist formally. There are three phases of the novel, which start with marriage, then continue with widowhood and finish with the rise to success.

The first part shows Ruth Ellet as she ponders about her upcoming wedding. She has grown without being loved by her father and brother, and although her family was rich, she barely received any financial aid. She wishes she was loved, and this becomes a reality after meeting Harry Hall. They eventually get married, but her marriage does not last long. The mother-in-law is bitter and jealous and scorns Ruth on every occasion. The first child, Daisy, dies of croup. Her beloved husband dies of typhoid fever and leaves her and her two daughters impoverished.

After hitting rock bottom, she starts writing under the pen name Floy. She tries to find a publisher and, after being refused by her brother Hyacinth on the grounds that she has no talent, she eventually finds a Walter, a reputable publisher, who helps her make her works public. She soon becomes extremely popular and restores her life.

Ruth Hall is a heart wrenching story about the ordeals of a young woman and her long path to success. Fanny Fern’s novel is certain to strike a chord in women and men alike, while also teaching about the importance of being perseverant in life.
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