Eight Cousins

Rose is the protagonist of the novel, which centers on her development from a sickly, insulated girl to a young woman of vivacious health, skills, and worldliness. Rose’s most significant transformation in the novel is from sickness to health, which is attributed to Uncle Alec’s regimen. Orphaned by a mother who died young and an “invalid,” sedentary father, Rose has spent most of her time indoors and inactive. Aunt Myra, a morbid woman, exaggerates Rose’s poor condition, believing that Rose is so ill that she will not survive the year and is “marked for the tomb” (53). Uncle Alec disagrees, diagnosing Rose’s weakened state a direct result of her insulated lifestyle, as her father’s illnesses prevented him from having much company or traveling. The initial changes that Uncle Alec makes to Rose’s lifestyle are physical: running outside, eating more nutritious meals, and undertaking activities like rowing, skating, gardening, cleaning, and playing outdoors with her cousins. Rose’s newfound love for unconstrained movement is symbolized through her change of dress. Initially, she prefers wearing a frivolous belt that restricts her breathing, but later when given the choice between a modest outfit that allows her to move easily and Aunt Clara’s fashionable but restrictive frock, she chooses the outfit that gives her greater mobility so that she doesn’t have to “go round like a walking doll” (288).