Women are often trapped in an essentially idle, domestic role, praised for purity and lack of sexual desire, pampered as ornaments, but given no effective life functions other than demonstrating a few social graces and bearing children, as is established by the Judeo-Christian ethic and is reinforced in the story of Ruth. Though the story of Ruth appears inthe Old Testament, its relevance is not limited by its datedness, but servesas a direct parallel to the predicament of the modern woman. ThoughChristianity no longer dominates so visibly as it did prior to secularizationand modernization, its remains a strong undercurrent in that its influenceis still felt in contemporary Western society. Likewise, in the story of Ruth,God is not a physical presence but is felt in the affected decisions Ruthmakes and in the path her life takes. Ideals still prevalent in society todayare drawn from the male-dominated Christian ethic. Thus, God plays amore subdued, but at the same time no less powerful role both in societytoday and in the story of Ruth. This is evidenced in Ruth's decision to staywith her mother-in-law upon the death of her husband. Ruth does this notaccording to her own desires, of which none are made known to the reader,but rather acts upon the desires of God, man, and society in accordance towhat has been deemed "right". The decision to remain with hermother-in-law, then, is not only a symbol of acting upon theJudeo-Christianethic, but also of women's dependence under that ethic. A mother isultimately the person on whom a child is raised to depend, so it is notinsignificant that, when robbed of a man on whom to depend, Ruth turnsnot only to a mother figure, but to the mother of her husband, a malefigure. ..for wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I willlodge...wherever you die, I will die.. (Ruth, 1:16) In this way the story ofRuth reveals that under the Judeo-Christian ethic both ancient and modernwomen cannot be revolut...
