The Color of Water

who is rocky ? why is he so nice to ruth?

chapter 17

Asked by
Last updated by Aslan
Answers 2
Add Yours
Best Answer

He was a pimp, and he wanted her to work for him.

Eventually, she found a job as a beautician, but damaged a client's hair and was fired. Finally, she was hired to work in a nail salon. Rocky, the owner of the salon, was in his fifties and drove a nice car, and Ruth thought of him as "prosperous". Before long, he was driving her home, taking her out, and setting her up in a room of her own in Harlem. Ruth would stay away from home for days at a time, and Bubeh started getting suspicious. Ruth, however, wasn't as innocent as she seemed: she knew that Rocky wasn't only a nail salon owner.

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-color-of-water/study-guide/section5/