Ruth Chandler is the mother of three young men. As a single mother, Ruth struggles to maintain her youth. She often treats the boys of the neighborhood as her "men", giving them beer, flirting with them, and allowing them to participate in activities most parents would disagree with. Ruth was wealthy as a child, but married an abuse alcoholic who left her and her three children. She is hard, and an alcoholic herself. Of ill health, Ruth is still a favorite in the neighborhood.