Maddie Schwartz, previously known as Maddie Morgenstern, is a character in the Lady in the Lake novel and in the adapted television series, of the same name. In the TV series, she is portrayed by Natalie Portman.
Biography[]
Maddie first appears at a department store with blood on her yellow coat from a poorly wrapped butcher purchase. In the store, she expresses a desire to buy a yellow dress displayed in the window.
At home, Maddie made dinner for her family and friend Wallace. However, she and her husband, Milton, got into a dispute when she accidentally uses a dairy platter for lamb, rendering it non-kosher. Milton insists on discarding the meat, leading to a struggle during which Maddie breaks a plate and cuts her hand. Overwhelmed, she retreats to the bathroom in tears and experiences flashbacks, one of which depicts her younger self watching a man clean a blood-stained bedspread. Another flashback shows her in a yellow prom dress. Frustrated, Maddie packs her belongings and leaves.
After leaving home, Maddie rents an apartment in The Bottom, a predominantly Black neighborhood, with the help of a jeweler friend. She becomes obsessed with the disappearance of Tessie, a girl who went missing a month earlier. Unable to join the official search due to her gender, Maddie teams up with the jeweler's daughter, Judith. Their determination leads them to discover Tessie's body. Maddie insists on staying with the body while sending Judith for help.
Facing financial struggles, Maddie attempts to stage a robbery in her new apartment to obtain insurance money, but Officer Ferdie informs her that insurance payouts take months, adding to her frustration. Local columnist Bob Bauer seeks information about Maddie and the Tessie case, but she deflects him with a tip about the pet shop.
As Maddie's situation deteriorates, she spirals further into despair, getting high with Judith before Ferdie arrives. In a moment of vulnerability and a bid for connection, Maddie seduces Ferdie.
Later, Maddie visits Stephen Zawadzkie at the mental institution, seeking answers about Tessie’s murder, but Stephen is disappointed to learn she wants an interview. She admits to using the spot where Tessie’s body was found to meet boys, and a flashback reveals her past assault by Allan Durst. Stephen denies killing Tessie but hints at military experiments, which Maddie later reports on, securing a job at The Baltimore Star. Officer Platt discusses a colleague’s death with her but withholds details, and they avoid being seen together. During Hanukkah, Allan confronts Maddie about her article. Returning home, she finds Stephen, who feels betrayed but leaves peacefully after forgiving her.
In a flashback to 1946, it was revealed that Maddie became pregnant by her boyfriend's father, Hal Durst, who arranged for a painful illegal abortion. In 1967, Maddie negotiates divorce terms with her estranged husband, Milton, and seeks advice from colleagues but receives blunt guidance. She confronts Stephan Zawadzkie about Cleo Johnson’s murder, which he denies, and investigates further after being dismissed by Patrice Murphy and Bob Bauer. Maddie learns that a dress she bought was once Cleo’s, linking their stories. Overwhelmed, she confronts Ferdie, leading to a heated argument.
Maddie is brutally stabbed by Mrs. Zawadzkie, who also hurls an anti-Semitic slur at her, leaving her severely wounded. She ends up in the hospital, where she sees that Cleo is in fact alive not dead. Cleo insists that Maddie cease writing about her to maintain her safety and anonymity. This forces Maddie to confront the ethical implications of her journalistic pursuits.
Maddie writes a nonfiction book titled “The Lady in the Lake,” which Cleo allows her to do under specific conditions to protect her identity. Although Maddie achieves fame and recognition as an author, she is left contemplating the ethical implications of her methods and the real impact of her work on the lives of others.
Personality[]
Maddie is a woman grappling with her identity and place in the world, caught between her roles as a housewife and her yearning for a more fulfilling life. Her experiences reflect a deep sense of frustration and a search for meaning amidst personal and societal challenges.
Gallery[]
