Compare Rosie and Nalini from The Guide by R.K. Narayan

 COMPARISON BETWEEN ROSIE & NALINI

Rosie - 

• loves dance obsessively and stays in her dream.
• is proud of her dance thus falls for Raju upon his slight remarks.
• does immoral act of extra marital affair.
• Is dependent.
• Is submissive.

Nalini - 

• more enhanced self of Rosie.
• leaves Raju when he exploits her and betrays her and thus is not submissive.
• is self independent. 
• is more mature and not like a dreamer.

The transformation of Rosie from a dependent housewife to a self-made woman.

This transformation is indicated with the image of a snake. As snake generally sloughs off its old skin and is reborn, Rosie do the same. In fact Rosie herself shows her talent as a dancer for the first time to the reader before a dancing cobra. Later when she becomes a famous dancer, her masterpiece is the 'snake-dance'. 

Rosie's spiritual transformation is signified in the changing of her name from 'Rosie to Nalini'. Raju compares this change to a kind of reincarnation. 

Nalini means 'Lotus' which blooms in the mud, a remarkable symbol by R.K. Narayan which indicates Rosie's past life. 

Through the change of her name from modern to orthodox, she symbolically seeks an entry into the orthodox society that reject her creativity as a dancer but now in a different form.

She is able to come out of the clutches of both an indifferent husband and an exploitative lover. Though like Savitri, Rosie remains fitful to her husband by carrying out his book amidst all the riches of her house, and like Sita, she submits herself to a self-imposed 'Agnipariskha' by helping Raju in the court case however once the sentence of Raju is pronounced her duty is done, and Nalini is able to overcome the temptation of money, fame and physical desire.

This is the difference between Rosie and Nalini.