Madwoman

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, graphic violence, child abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, suicidal ideation, mental illness, addiction, and substance use.

Clove is the protagonist of Madwoman, a dynamic character, and an unreliable first-person narrator. Clove’s unreliability is a crucial aspect of her character, as she layers numerous mistruths together throughout the narrative, manifesting not only in her interactions with other characters but also in her understanding of past events. The character’s multiple names—Calla, Celine, and Clove—function as more than mere aliases; instead, they mark the major moments of her psychological evolution. Each name represents a different facet of her identity: Calla embodies the traumatized child, Celine the stolen identity of escape, and Clove the carefully constructed persona of domestic stability unencumbered by the truth of her traumatic past.

Clove’s obsession with purchasing supplements and expensive brands represents The Commodification of Safety, which was one of the main reasons she entered a relationship with her husband in the first place. Here, Clove’s internal struggle with appearance, authenticity, and control manifests as material markers, despite the negative impact that purchasing them has on Clove’s life, as she is in credit card debt.