Rosie McClendon is the main protagonist of the 1995 novel Rose Madder. She is a woman that fled from her hellish marriage with a violent and abusive cop. She starts a new life in a new city but her abusive husband pursues her.
Early Life[]
Rosie McClendon met Norman Daniels on his collage football match. They started going out and Rosie fell in love with him. One day Norman asked her to marry him, giving her a seemingly expensive ring. They married but at the first night of their marriage Norman showed his true colors. He bit her and hit her at their first night. Rosie first lied to herself and thought them as ' love bites'. Then Norman's abuse got bigger and worse. Rosie understood that Norman was a violent psychopath.
In 1985 Norman had a problem with a woman named Wendy Yarrow. Because of this he was worse than usual. One day he beat Rosie because she was reading a book. She was pregnant and miscarried. She got into a depressive state after that. She didn't feel like she was living. Life moved on then.
Rose Madder[]
One day when she is cleaning the house Rosie spots a drop of blood on the bed sheet. She wakes up from the state she is in and realizes Norman could kill her or worse she might have to live like this forever. She then decides to escape and takes Norman's credit card. She draws 350 dollars from it and dumps it. She gets into a bus and goes to a city she doesn't know.
When she gets to the city she is scared and alone. A man named Peter Slowik helps her get to a abused woman shelter called Daughters and Sisters. She starts staying there.
Sometime later when Rosie is leaving the hotel she works with her friend, realizes she still has her wedding ring. She starts looking for a pawn shop and finds one. There she meets Bill Steiner, her future husband. There she realizes her wedding ring was fake. She starts leaving the pawn shop but stumbles upon a painting. She senses that the painting ' saw' her. She buys the painting and while she is leaving, a man named Robert Lefferts offers her a job.
She then goes to Daughters and Sisters. She meets her friends Gert,Cynthia and Pam there. Anna, the head of Daughters an Sisters, shows Rosie a new apartment Rosie will stay.
Rosie starts reading audio-books and moves to her new apartment. She puts the painting on the wall of her apartment. That day door rings and she thinks it's Norman. She takes a can and opens the door. She finds Bill Steiner standing there. He asks her out on a date. Scared but intrigued, Rosie goes to a restaurant with him. When they come back they decide on a date later.
Meanwhile Norman finds where Rosie leaves and looks for her. He kills and tortures Peter Slowik. When Rosie finds that out, she is scared it might be Norman. She breaks up with Bill so he wouldn't get hurt. When she is leaving work Bill visits her and tells her to talk about Norman. She talks and realizes she is save from Norman. They make up.
Meanwhile Rosie starts observing weird stuff about her painting. It seems as it's getting bigger. Also dead bugs and some fresh flowers drop from it. One night she wakes up to find a doorway to the painting. She walks into it and sees Dorcas who looks like Wendy Yarrow and Rose Madder. They ask her to save a baby from the Temple of Bull. Scared, but not a coward, Rosie saves the baby using her smartness and her strength. She gives the baby to Rose Madder. Rose Madder tells her 'she'll repay'.
When Rosie wakes up she believes she had a dream. Then she finds stuff from that world in her apartment.
Rosie goes to date with Bill Stenier. They picnic on a beach. Norman attacks the fair D and S organized and gets beaten by Gert. Rosie talks the police about Norman. When she is going home with Bill, Norman attacks Bill and strangles him. Rosie beats Norman and breaks his nose. She pushes him down the stairs and carries Bill up to the apartment. She gets into the painting. Norman comes after her and she lures him to his death. Rose Madder eats Norman alive.
Dorcas gives Rosie a drink that will erase Bill's memory of the magical painting. Rosie and Bill goes to real world. Rosie burns the painting. Bill and Rosie get married and have a child. Rosie struggles with anger given her by Rose Madder. Then she realizes if she will give her anger to her past she will be free of it. She makes her anger go away and lives happily with her husband and her daughter.
Personality[]
Rosie is resourceful and smart. She can handle things easily. She is scared of everything but that doesn't stop her. She is very brave. She is strong and tough. She is sassy and funny. She is kind and good-hearted. She is rebellious and headstrong. She grows independent after leaving Norman. She learns to love herself and worth herself.
She hates cops and police department. She has prejudices about law.
She is friendly and helpful. She first feared men but realized they aren't all bad. She is curious and lively.
