Mama Ruby (34 page)

Authors: Mary Monroe

BOOK: Mama Ruby

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A Chat with Mary Monroe

Q. Mama Ruby and Othella are spirited, liberal women growing up during the Great Depression. Why did you decide to keep the hardships and racism of the times from affecting their optimism about life?

A. We hear and read so much about how hard it was for black women during the Great Depression. I didn’t want to put too much emphasis on that because it would have changed the tone of the story. Despite the fact that Mama Ruby and Othella experience their share of racism and hardships, they are still young and “naive” enough to be somewhat fearless in a dangerous region during a dangerous time, and to believe in dreams. They are both unrealistic, but they have enough ambition and drive that eventually leads to some level of success.

Q. Mama Ruby was raised by strict religious parents, but she had no reservations about earning money as a prostitute and carrying a weapon. How did you come up with her unique, contradictory character?

A. There are a lot of religious people who know the Bible well enough to find a quote in it that justifies just about anything they want to do. Many people feel that when religion does not meet their needs it’s okay to resort to desperate measures. Like countless others, Mama Ruby relies on religion only when it suits her.

Q. Why did you make finding a husband such an important goal for Mama Ruby and Othella?

A. Having a real career—other than domestic or farm work—was out of reach for a lot of black women back then. Therefore, to lovesick and disillusioned women like Mama Ruby and Othella, landing a husband was a measure of success and the pinnacle of prestige, so naturally it was their ultimate goal.

Q.
Mama Ruby
is the prequel to
The Upper Room,
which was your first book. How has your perception of these characters changed over the years?

A. My perception of Mama Ruby and Othella has not changed over the years. However, it’s because of my fans’ reactions and eager acceptance of Mama Ruby and Othella that my perception of my current and future female characters has changed over the years. I gradually began to write about women doing things that the average woman would do only in her dreams. Mama Ruby and Othella were the original Thelma and Louise, and whenever I hear Cyndi Lauper’s hit song, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” I think about Mama Ruby and Othella. I know that a lot of women—of all races—would love to have the kind of “take no prisoners” attitude that they had. When I first created these two women, they were strong-willed, frivolous, and independent, and all they wanted in life was to be happy—even if it meant using violence and deception. Unfortunately, it was because they lived by the sword that they “died” by the sword, so to speak.

Q. Mama Ruby and Othella are single and living hand-to-mouth at the end of the story, but they seem content. Did you set out to address the struggles that single women face?

A. I don’t think that you can write a story about single mothers without addressing the struggles they face. That’s another thing that I didn’t want to put too much emphasis on because that was not the story that I wanted to tell. In spite of the many obstacles that Mama Ruby and Othella face, they
do
get almost everything they ever wanted. They get the excitement, the husbands, and the children. But in the end, they are their own worst enemies. Deception, betrayal, and revenge consume them. They eventually lose the most important thing that they had going: their friendship.

Q. Mama Ruby’s background included other family members who were prone to violence. Was violence in Mama Ruby’s blood, or was she just a woman who decided to get what she wanted using whatever means necessary?

A. Negative personality traits, or “bad seeds” do seem to flourish in some families. But in the cases that I am familiar with, there are just as many positive characteristics in those same families. I think it’s more about choices and what’s going on in a person’s life at the time that determines what he or she chooses to do.

Q. Mama Ruby and Othella always seem to get involved with men who were also involved with other women at the same time—but they put up with it. Are they so afraid of being alone that they accept whatever they can get?

A. As long as the husband is discreet, a lot of wives ignore the obvious and look the other way. Married women during that time had other priorities that didn’t always include their husbands’ fidelity. Because of the weak economy back then, security was more important to some women. If a women got that from her husband, in addition to some affection and children, she had it made. In Mama Ruby’s case, she got it all. However, because of Mama Ruby’s husband’s public betrayal and his violent reaction when she confronted him, she was compelled to react accordingly.

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Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2011922117

ISBN: 978-0-7582-3861-0