In the color of water: Should Ruth have tried to get an education earlier in her life?

Hello, Student90,

There is a quick and easy answer to this question, since everyone should get an education as soon as possible, but as you know from reading the book, there is no way that Ruth would have been able to get a college education when she graduated from high school.

The situation was not one conducive to going to college for a number of reasons.  First, this was the middle of the Depression and getting a college education was not as much a priority as food, shelter, and clothing.  Ruth's family was not the poorest, but life was a struggle for them.  Another difficulty for Ruth was her sex. Had there been any money to spare for college, that money would go to educate a male, since women were expected to marry.  Finally, Ruth had been staying with her New York relatives during her high school years because of her pregnancy, and when she graduated, she felt a strong need to escape from her family for a number of reasons. Going to college would have meant help from her nuclear family or help from her New York relatives, and she needed to be able to take care of herself by earning a living.