Rosie: nurture or nature?

spoiler alert: this post makes reference to the July 14 episode on CBC

How exactly did Rosie Webster find herself in a hotel room, half naked with her boss? (turn left at the concierge's desk and go up two floors - ed). And why did she act in such a way as to incur the wrath of a towering Scottish presence (The Bay City Rollers? - ed)

Her dad. Kevin, has been trying to figure out why Rosie betrayed him (by furnishing the Tonester with confidential business info) and why she seems to be the source of so much trouble and aggravation.

"After all we've done for her, the money we spent at Oak Hill and she turns round and does that," says Kev bitterly.
"She's just so eager to get on and make her mark," says Sally by way of explanation.

It may be true that Rosie is ambitious. She seems to want what many 17 year-olds want: money, status, cars and hot dates (so how does Saj fit in - ed). But why? After all, it was just a short while ago that she was dressing in black and hanging out with a goth boyfriend. If she wanted to make her mark, why didn't Rosie stay at Oak Hill, get a good education and escape from the Street. Kev and Sally squeezed their finances to pay for that school (at the expense of Sophie) - but it amounted to nothing.

Here she is working in a backstreet factory with no real prospects (like Sally). You can blame Kev and Sally's parenting style if you want (Sally too prescriptive and Kevin too detached) or maybe their past indiscretions (Kevin & Nathalie; Sally & Ian Davenport et al). You can even blame Sally as a role model, constantly dissatisfied with her lot in life and ready to make bad choices to get ahead whether it's expanding Kevin's business or getting 'tutored' by John Stapes. Or, perhaps it comes down to the genes (you mean those two guys on Canal Street? - ed).

In many ways Rosie is a lot like her mum and that's probably not a good thing - but ultimately it doesn't matter whether it's a question of nature or nurture. She's made some mistakes and we can attribute some of that to naivete and foolish youth - but things like blackmail and betrayal. Well, as Kevin says, "Rosie made a choice."