Ruby, the young firl who comes along in the book to help Ada with her farm, is the confidante that I chose. Ruby's role in the book was to be there to comfort and be a sympathetic listener for Ada, while the love of her life, Inman, was off at war. Throughout the book, we learn about how Ada is alone on a farm, waiting for Inman to return from the war. Ruby comes along, when Mrs. Swanger tells her that Ada needs help with farm. Ruby is very skillful in farming, and right away she and Ada agree that she"ll stay on the farm and help Ada with all the work to do. Ruby is like a distraction that the author, Charles Frazer put in the book, to help keep Ada's mind off of Inman. I believe that Ruby also was there, to liven the book up, to give something more to the boo, so that Ada isn't just waiting around for Inman. Frazer actually gives her something to do, farming, which is normally seen as a man's work, so it gives the book a second episode or journey, since Inman is off on his journey. Ruby also functions as a teacher during the story since Ruby teaches her the ways of farming, and the wrong and right way to do things on a farm. The stories that Ruby tells Ada about, the ones that include how her father never cared for her and how she had to do everything on her own, make Ada remember her own father and also gives her a different view of life, one in which she doesn't have to rely on anyone, she just needs herself. Throughout the book, Ada and Ruby become inseparable from each other, they do everything together, even at the end when they come upon Inman. This reflects on how much they are there for each other, since both Ada and Ruby need a close friend. At the end of the novel, we all wondered, did Inman live or die, well if he did die then Ada knew that she would be able to move on and live by herself. Ruby and Ada would be perfectly fine without Inman they"d go about working on the farm like always.
