Character Analysis
Ruth Dewitt Bukater is Rose's mother…and she's not exactly the most likable of women.
First off, she's a snob; she doesn't like "new money" like Molly and she doesn't bother to hide her disdain for Jack (or the other steerage passengers, for that matter). Also, she doesn't seem to have much regard for her daughter's feelings or happiness, which definitely turns us off her early on.
After all, Ruth is a big fan of Cal—how can she possibly be a nice person?
Well, just to be a little bit fair here, we have to mention that Ruth's late husband had racked up a bunch of debt and then died, leaving her (and Rose, too) to clean up the mess. They're on the brink of losing everything, which is why Ruth is so big on Rose marrying Cal—Cal's money would prevent all of her worst fears from coming true.
Foremost among those fears? The prospect of having to take up a profession, presumably for the first time in her life. She tries to get Rose to understand her POV, asking her daughter:
RUTH: Do you want to see me working as a seamstress? Is that what you want? To see our fine things sold at an auction, our memories scattered to the winds?
So, knowing all that, maybe it's a little easier to be a teensy bit sympathetic for Ruth.