43 pages • 1 hour read
Graeme SimsionThe Rosie Effect
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Literary Context: The Rosie Series
Graeme Simsion is an Australian author, playwright, and screenwriter with a background in information systems and a PhD in data modelling. His debut novel, The Rosie Project, was first published in Australia by Text Publishing in 2013 and became something of a phenomenon. The novel was awarded a prize for an unpublished manuscript in 2012 and the Book of the Year Award by the Australian Book Industry Association. It was also published in the UK by Penguin and in the US by Simon & Schuster—where it was included in the New York Times bestseller list. As of 2024, a film adaptation is in development.
The Rosie Project (2013) is a romantic comedy that follows genetics professor Don Tillman, who seeks an ideal wife. He finds himself drawn to bartender Rosie Jarman and her spontaneity, despite his scrupulous rationale. He offers to identify her biological father, a process that involves secretly testing the DNA of a graduating class of Melbourne medical students. The Rosie Project stands out with its neurodivergent protagonist, who exhibits traits often associated with autism. Though Don is never evaluated for autism, an early scene shows him interacting with youth diagnosed with what was once called Asperger’s Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and relating to their rationale. The Rosie Project ends with Don taking a position at Columbia in New York City, where Rosie plans to enroll in medical school while she completes her PhD. The Rosie Effect (2014) opens 10 months after the couple’s marriage, with Rosie announcing her pregnancy at the same time as former thesis advisor Gene’s infidelity. The novel concludes with Don and Rosie moving back to Melbourne, Australia, and welcoming their newborn son, Hudson.
The Rosie Result (2019) follows Don and Rosie’s family life as 11-year-old Hudson encounters difficulties in school—likely due to undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This novel further explores life on the autism spectrum, while retaining the comedic tone that made the first two novels successful. Though critics have debated the accuracy and nuance of the series’ depiction of people on the spectrum, Don himself has been largely received with enthusiasm and empathy. For many, the series challenges common misconceptions about neurodivergence: In interviews, Simsion has confirmed Don’s autism and asserted it is not a disorder but a difference.
Social Context: The Autism Spectrum and Understanding Neurodivergence
Medical understanding of the autism spectrum has evolved in the decade since The Rosie Project’s publication in 2013, which features a protagonist with what was once called Asperger’s Syndrome. In 2013, Asperger’s was reclassified as part of the autism spectrum to reduce association with Austrian physician Hans Asperger, who is suspected of having collaborated on Nazi-driven eugenics projects that included the murder of patients classified as disabled.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V), the standard diagnostic tool for psychologists and other professionals who treat brain health. ASD is divided into three levels distinguished by the amount of support that individuals with the diagnosis are presumed to need. What was formerly called Asperger’s Syndrome is now classified as Level 1 ASD. Individuals with this diagnosis are considered high-functioning and require a low level of support to meet daily needs. Levels 2-3 require higher levels of support, especially Level 3 individuals who may be nonverbal and particularly sensitive to environmental or sensory stimuli. While ASD is often suspected in young children (typically between 18 and 30 months old) with development delays, Level 1 ASD may not be suspected until adulthood.
In The Rosie Project, Don lives independently, holds a PhD and professorship in genetics, and meets his own needs for daily care. However, he exhibits traits associated with Level 1 ASD. Though verbal, he tends to avoid eye contact and physical touch outside of sexual intimacy, only accepting hugs from a small number of people. Don has difficulty reading facial expressions and body language, and tends to interpret statements literally; his struggle to perceive irony and sarcasm is used to comic effect in the Rosie Series. Furthermore, he exhibits a preference for routine and fixates on personal interests, traits often associated with autism.
As a character, Don confronts two common misconceptions about individuals on the autism spectrum, namely that they lack emotions and empathy. People with neurodevelopmental disorders might demonstrate alexithymia, difficulty in describing or expressing emotions. This, combined with a difference in affect (tone), can lead to misunderstanding. The question of whether or not Don feels romantic love is important to Rosie in The Rosie Project and why she initially declines his pursuit. Don’s emotions continue to provide a source of conflict in The Rosie Effect, where he exhibits greater understanding of his emotions and self-regulates under duress. His preference for logic adds humor to daily decisions but proves a strength in emergency situations.
The term neurodivergence departs from the language of disorder and disability to more objectively reflect differences in brain structure. Don thinks of neurodivergence as different “wiring,” albeit one that doesn’t take away from his intelligence and logic. As this difference can lead to prejudice, he habitually engages in masking, mimicking neurotypical behavior to avoid prejudice. The Rosie Effect further explores neurodivergence through his struggle to make eye contact and an emotional meltdown from sensory overload. Don’s lack of a formal diagnosis and related language provide another source of conflict: During a depressive episode in his twenties, he was diagnosed with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. Thus, The Rosie Effect centers his fear that his “wiring” will make him an unfit father.
