# Rosie Driffield — Cakes and Ale character guide

> Rosie Driffield in Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Rosie, Mrs. Driffield, Rosie Gann, Mrs. Gann, Poor Rosie, Rose Iggulden

**First appearance:** 0000-i

## Snapshot

A warm, unashamed barmaid-turned-wife whose easy sensuality and childlike reading habits unsettle every respectable circle she enters.

## Who they are

Rosie moves through Blackstable and London with a placid good nature that conceals appetites others find scandalous. She devours histories of queens and royal mistresses, loves the smoky hominess of the Canterbury music hall, and accepts admiration—from the narrator, from the painter Hillier, from the diamond merchant Kuyper—without vanity or apology. Her unruffled freedom is the novel's moral center of gravity, and the narrator's possessive longing for her colors his whole account of Driffield's early life.

## In the story

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/ii)

Driffield's first wife, described by Roy as 'dreadfully common' and unfaithful; the narrator knew her.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/vii)

Reveals her history as a barmaid and casually befriends Mary-Ann, showing her lack of concern for social conventions.

### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/viii)

Shows a playful and affectionate side, laughs in a way that unsettles the narrator, and warmly welcomes him during his visit.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/ix)

Hosts the whist games, plays with natural card sense, and shows a mischievous look at Lord George.

### [The Flight of the Driffields](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/x)

Flees with her husband, leaving debts and a maid unpaid, though she later sends the maid's wages.

### [Chapter XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xiii)

She is cheerful and unashamed about their flight from Blackstable, and the narrator notices for the first time that she is pretty.

### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xiv)

Sits for a portrait by Lionel Hillier; her beauty and color are admired; she dislikes Mrs. Barton Trafford.

### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xv)

Shown as socially active with various admirers, yet comfortable with the narrator; her beauty is discussed and she initiates a kiss.

### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xvi)

Rosie accompanies the narrator to the theatre and later to his rooms, where their relationship becomes physically intimate.

### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xvii)

Shows a childlike delight in the sable cape and muff from Jack Kuyper, displaying a materialistic side that clashes with the narrator's ideals.

### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xviii)

Rarely attends social gatherings, feeling shy and out of place; informs the narrator of Driffield's expectations for the book's earnings.

### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xix)

Has run away with Lord George Kemp, leaving Edward.

### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xx)

Has run away with Lord George Kemp, leaving the narrator feeling betrayed.

### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xxi)

Divorced by Driffield; sends money to her mother from New York, but no address or message.

### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xxv)

Shows old photographs and discusses Rosie's character, revealing her disapproval and her decision to keep Rosie's death from Edward.

### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xxv)

Discussed through photographs and memories; the narrator remembers her beauty and kindness, while others criticize her.

### [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/chapters/xxvi)

Now Rosie Iggulden, living in Yonkers, aged seventy, still vivacious and candid about her past.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/characters/rosie_driffield
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/cakes_and_ale_se/characters