The Robber Bridegroom Character Analysis

Eudora Welty’s novella, The Robber Bridegroom, embodies a tale as old as time — growing up. As the main character Rosamond under goes her transition into adulthood, she also embarks on what seems to be a right of passage, to find love. At first, Rosamond will be forced into adulthood when the masked bandit — Jamie Lockhart — robs her of her virginity. However, as the story further develops, the unknown identities of the two individuals will jade the truth, which will keep Rosamond from fully maturing into an adult. It is not until Rosamond leaves home and seeks the truth of who her lover is, that her evolution into adulthood will be complete. Rosamond’s transition into adulthood begins when she leaves home in search for herbs for her stepmother on the other side of woods at the furthest edge of the indigo fields. This is

Salome brings to light crucial statements that will resonate with Rosamond and ultimately be the final push into adulthood. Salome makes remarks to Rosamond such as, “Does your husband kill the travelers where they stand… I suppose you will say next that you don’t even know his name for he has never told you . . . Now do not tell me you have never seen the man by the light of day without his robber’s disguise.” (Welty, 83). As these questions sat in the back of Rosamond’s mind, she began to question her new life. Was she truly in love with her masked bandit? Rosamond felt the need to return home to her husband, but she left with a heavy heart and a mission to seek the truth. According to Welty, “she was torn as she had never been before with and anguish to know his name and his true appearance… she could wait no longer to learn the identity of her true love”(Welty, 93). That night, Rosamond used the recipe Salome gave her to remove the berry stains from her bandit's face. Once she unmasked her bandit the true identity of Jamie Lockhart was