The relationship between Ruby and her family

In what follows, we will focus on the relationship between Ruby and her parents as presented in “Her Share of Sorrow” by Tessa Hadley. Ruby’s relationship with her family is flawed and her life displays the way in which a dysfunctional family relationship can come to affect a child.

The relationship with her mother

When it comes to her interactions with her mother Dalia, it is very clear that the woman is not concerned with her daughter and that this behaviour affects Ruby greatly. First of all, Dalia simply ignores Ruby’s compulsive eating and does not even take the time to think of it as an eating disorder. Dalia is also self-centered and believes that she knows whether something happens with her children: “Scrupulously, because they’d read all the right guides to parenting, Adrian and Dalia ignored Ruby’s greedy eating at the supper table.” (ll. 12-13)

In an ironic way, although she does not impose a strict programme regarding Ruby’s eating disorder, Dalia still enforces Ruby a strict programme when it comes to the time she spends in front of the computer. As a result, the tension between mother and daughter makes them both lament: Dalia laments because of Ruby’s lack of interest in any hobby, while Ruby laments because she needs to be listen to and understood. 

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The relationship with her father

Ruby’s interactions with her father are very scarce. Adrian prefers spending time with his son instead of his daughter, which reveals that he acts according to the old-fashioned way which involves the father being closer to the son and the mother being closer to the daughter. He also ignores his daughter’s eating habits – just like Dalia – ...

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The relationship with her brother

When it comes to Ruby’s interactions with her brother, it is also very clear that Nico does not think much of his sister and that he prefers to ignore her or to mock her. You have probably noticed that the two siblings are not depicted spending time together except for the moments when Nico is supposed to babysit Ruby so as the girl should not disturb their mother’s therapeutic sessions. When he interacts with her, Nico constantly mocks her or he is ironic:

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