Ruth

Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (1891)

Hardy’s novel explores the fate of a young woman who becomes an unwed mother and fallen woman in the Victorian era. The novel provides an interesting contrast with Gaskell’s text in terms of its societal critique, perspective on religion, and the different characterization between Tess and Ruth.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles on SuperSummary

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)

Written at almost the same time as Ruth but set much earlier and in America, Hawthorne’s novel provides an interesting parallel. Like Gaskell, Hawthorne explores themes of moral and religious hypocrisy and depicts the challenges of a woman finding a place in a community while concealing secrets about her history and the identity of her child.

The Scarlet Letter on SuperSummary

Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (1748)

One of the earliest English novels, Clarissa uses the form of an epistolary novel to explore the emotions and tragic fate of a young woman tempted by a handsome rake. Like Ruth, Clarissa represents the moral tensions of a young woman who loves a reckless and immoral man and the discrepancy in consequences and social stigma between them.