Ruthie is a good and bad person for Esperanza to be around. Good because Ruthie shows the childlike love of beautiful things that Esperanza and her friends have shown before (which for them is a way of escaping, and improving their lives), although Ruthie could be a bad influence on Esperanza because Ruthie is an adult and that could cause Esperanza to live her life believing that it’s okay to be childish and not grow up. Unless Esperanza sees Ruthie as an example of what she shouldn’t be. Esperanza being as smart as she is, I believe that she will see Ruthie as a bad influence and an example of what not to do, and to grow up to be responsible. Ruthie shares some of Esperanza’s talents and creative spirit, but she lacks the strength to try