Big Little Lies

Strong-willed and opinionated, Madeline begins the story appearing to be an archetypical suburban mom, described in the second chapter as “famous for her fondness of birthdays and celebrations of all kinds. Any excuse for champagne” (9). Madeline is seemingly a girlie girl but becomes continuously complex. Part of her might love mimosas and the color pink, but she more often demonstrates a passion to do the right thing. Madeline is the first mother aside from Jane to defend Ziggy, unafraid of what the other parents will say about her. She further helps Ziggy by taking him to Disney On Ice after he doesn’t receive an invite to Amabella’s party. Madeline is also stubborn in her skepticism of Nathan. Madeline is aggressive and sharp with him, but only because she still vividly remembers the pain he caused when he walked out on her and their newborn daughter. Madeline isn’t liked by everyone because of her boldness, but her actions are always backed by wanting to do the right thing.

Madeline’s character also strongly shows the importance of friendship. She respectfully listens to Jane when she recounts her assault, and she consoles her affectionally afterward. A testimonial in Chapter 19 describes Madeline’s loyalty to Jane as “like a crazy, protective big sister” (125).