The role of the idea of self-improvement in "Ruth" by Elizabeth Gaskell

"Ruth" (1853) the second novel of Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is being discussed in this article. The main stress is being done on religious and ethical issues that mold both the topic and the plot of the novel as well as its message. The patterns of narration that allow the writer to create complex images of main characters and describe their mental make-up are under analysis. The author's principle of psychological individualization in depicting a human being which is inherent in realism is also discussed in this paper. The article concerns some ethical values and principles of the Antitrinitarians, the Christian religious group that is known in Great Britain as the Unitarians and that the writer belonged to.