| “ | Because she... she's the best friend I ever had, and I love her. | „ |
| ~ Ruth's response to the judge on why she went with Idgie. |
Ruth Jamison is the deuteragonist of the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes.
Ruth grew up in Whistle Stop near Birmingham, Alabama and was engaged to Buddy Threadgoode. Buddy unfortunately died in a train accident. His younger sister the tomboy Idgie Threadgoode was badly affected by the untimely death of her brother. Having a hard time dealing with her grief she distanced herself from her family and largely withdrew from society. Eventually the straight laced Ruth came to live with the Threadgoode family and was able to break through the wall Idgie had built up around herself. The two women soon became friends despite their very different backgrounds. Ruth took to calling Idgie The Bee Charmer due to Idgie's adeptness at retrieving honey from bee hives.
Ruth soon caught the eye of Frank Bennett. The two soon were married and moved to Valdosta, Georgia. Idgie came to visit her but Ruth seemed cool and distant, afraid not only of what Frank would do to her but what Idgie might do if she found out that Frank was beating Ruth.
Ruth soon became pregnant. At about the same time her mother died. Idgie returned with Big George and another friend, and Ruth decided she finally had enough of Frank. When Frank pushed her down a flight of steps Idgie threatened to kill Frank if he ever touched her again.
Back in Whistle Stop Ruth and Idgie took money given to them by Ruth's father and started the Whistle Stop Cafe. Along with the barbecue the place also became known for its fried green tomatoes. Ruth gave birth to a baby boy that she named Buddy Jr.
Figuring out where she had gone Frank and his Ku Klux Klan buddies travelled to Whistle Stop. While the rest of the Klan set about burning crosses and attempting to intimidate local residents, Frank went to the Whistle Stop Cafe to see Ruth's son. Unbeknownst to Ruth, Frank returned a short time later and tried to kidnap Ruth's baby. When drifter Smokey Lonesome tried to stop him from leaving Frank punched him, however Smokey refused to stay down, refusing to let Frank go anywhere with Ms. Ruth's baby. Frank attacked Smokey again before the cook Sipsey whacked him in the back of a head with a frying pan, killing him.
Without Ruth's knowledge Idgie, Big George, and Sipsey met to discuss the problem they had on their hands. They all realized even though it was justifiable homicide the Jim Crow era justice system would never excuse Bennett's death at the hands of a black person. Smokey left town right after the death. Idgie and Big George barbecued Frank Bennett's body on the cafe's large outdoor barbecue. Sheriff Curtis Smoote of Georgia unwittingly ate the evidence when he stopped at the cafe for dinner.
Frightened that Frank had found her Ruth considered leaving, knowing that Frank would not stop until he had taken her son from her. When Idgie told her she would never again have to worry about Frank, Ruth started to believe that perhaps Idgie had killed Frank. Idgie denied killing Frank and said that she would only tell Ruth once that she no longer had to worry about Frank. About 50 years later Virginia Threadgoode would state that she wasn't sure that Ruth ever truly believed that Idgie was not responsible for Frank's death.
Buddy Jr. would suffer his own mishap with a train. Fortunately he lived after his accident but at the cost of his arm. Buddy and the other children gathered to hold a funeral for the arm, followed by having some ice cream.
Over the next few years Sheriff Curtis Smoote of Georgia tried to find out what happened to Frank. When Frank's truck was found in a nearby river Idgie and Big George were arrested and transported to Georgia. At the trial Ruth was called to testify. The prosecutor tried to make it sound like Idgie had tricked or manipulated Ruth into going with Idgie, something Ruth flatly denied. Ruth stated that Idgie was her best friend and she loved her.
When the local pastor Rev. Scroggins came up he said he wanted to swear on his own bible. Agreeing to that the prosecutor let him hold up his book - which was actually a copy of Moby Dick. Scroggins then proceeded to tell the courtroom that at the time Frank disappeared Idgie and Big George were with him at a 3 day revival meeting.
The judge ordered the lawyers to the bench. Once there he told the prosecutor Percy that there was no body, and a preacher whose testimony no one would want to dispute. He went on to say that Frank probably got himself drunk, drove into the river, and was eaten by the wildlife in the river. Declaring that he didn't give a damn, he ruled Frank's death an accident and dismissed all charges against Idgie and Big George. Ruth told Idgie that her penance for doing that would be to come to Scroggins' church henceforth on Sundays, which she herself had suggested to the good Reverend. Idgie said she didn't know what was worse, church or jail, and said she would never forgive Ruth for that.
After the trial life went on pretty much as it did before until Ruth was diagnosed with cancer. By then it was much too late to do anything. Idgie shut down the cafe and took care of her friend full time. Realizing that she was dying Ruth asked her friend to take care of Buddy Jr. and to make sure he finished school. Ruth knew that her son would have challenges due to his missing an arm and tried to comfort him after he came home to say that other children had bullied him.
As her life was slipping away Ruth asked Idgie to tell her the story about the ducks who took a frozen lake and moved it over to Georgia - which was Ruth's favorite story. Ruth passed away while Idgie recounted the story. Realizing her friend was gone Idgie was moved to tears while Sipsie did what she could to comfort Idgie.
Many of the residents of Whistle Stop came to Ruth's funeral to bury their beloved friend. When the drifter Smokey Lonesome died he had two possessions - one of them being a photo of Ruth, whom he had greatly admired. Idgie kept Buddy Jr. company during his mother's funeral, playing catch with him. Idgie was still alive in the early 90s, and left a message on Ruth's grave, "I will always Love You. The Bee Charmer."
Trivia[]
- In the Fried Green Tomatoes movie Ruth Jamison was played by Mary-Louise Parker, who also portrayed Helen Grace in The Spiderwick Chronicles.
- One of the main differences between the novel and the movie was that the novel explicitly stated that the two women shared a sexual relationship, while the movie left it much more ambiguous. The film's director later acknowledged that the food fight scene could be seen as a type of symbolic love making. The move to make the relationship between Idgie and Ruth ambiguous was controversial in that it seemed to be glossing over their relationship.