Brenda Chenowith
Encyclopedia
Brenda Chenowith is a fictional character
on the HBO television series Six Feet Under played by Rachel Griffiths
. She was first introduced in the pilot, and remained until the series finale.
, Bernard Chenowith, and psychologist
Margaret Chenowith. During her childhood, Brenda's parents were sexually open to their children, along with being promiscuous, often deviating from their respective marital partner. Also during her childhood, Brenda was discovered to be a genius, and, as a result, was the subject of a study by Dr. Gareth Feinberg, PhD. He began documenting her odd behavior, and Brenda, realizing she was being observed, began studying mental disorders and would fake symptoms to spite the doctors. Feinberg published his account and it eventually became the best-selling book Charlotte Light and Dark, the book that would repeatedly haunt Brenda throughout her life. At one point in her life, Brenda planned on attending Yale University
, but opted to remain at home in California when her troubled brother, Billy, ostensibly attempted suicide.
airport with Nate Fisher
. The two have sex in a janitor's closet before Nate receives news that his father has died. The two part ways but continue their sexual relationship. She is now a shiatsu
massage therapist, operating out of her home. Her relationship with Nate continues to grow more serious until Billy suddenly worms his way into her relationship. Billy is a photographer who is often in and out of mental institutions. He exhibits extreme possessiveness over Brenda and even begins stalking
her and Nate. The two share matching tattoos on their lower backs, Brenda's being the name Nathaniel, Billy's being Isabel. These names were taken from their favorite childhood book series Nathaniel and Isabel. Billy's obsession with Brenda eventually spirals out of control when he has completely gone off of his medications and removes his tattoo from his body by cutting his skin off. He attempts to remove Brenda's tattoo before she knocks him unconscious and has him institutionalized.
The next summer Brenda decides to return to college and begins the process of writing of a novel. Her attraction to Nate has dwindled and she soon finds herself fantasizing about men outside of her relationship. Nonetheless, she proposes to Nate mid-season, and opts to stay with him, despite his admitting to a brain condition that may cause him to have a stroke
at any time. Sex with Nate has all but subsided when Brenda begins a friendship with a client who is a prostitute. Brenda finds herself inspired by her new friend and eventually performs a handjob
on one of her clients. Brenda then begins having more random encounters with men outside of her relationship with Nate until it escalates into sexual addiction. Later Nate admits that he cheated on Brenda with Lisa, an old friend from Seattle, and the infidelity resulted in Lisa becoming pregnant. Brenda begins having sex in public areas, attending sex-themed parties and inviting strangers into her home. She details all of these accounts in her novel and Nate eventually discovers that Brenda's writings are not fictional. The two argue before Nate ends the engagement and storms off. Nate and Brenda have one last meeting, Brenda admits her sexual addiction and asks Nate if she can be there when he undergoes brain surgery. He refuses. Brenda packs up her things and leaves her home.
Brenda is next seen returning to Los Angeles
after a lengthy absence. The reason for her return is initially unknown, but Brenda seems to be fully cured of her addictions. She makes amends with Nate, but discovers that he is now married to Lisa. Later, Brenda's father dies of cancer, three months after being diagnosed. Nate attends the funeral with his new daughter, Maya, much to Lisa's chagrin. Brenda is staying with her mother, but soon moves out and moves in with Billy, however, she quickly departs from Billy's when he attempts to kiss her. She begins a friendship with Joe, a man who lives across the courtyard from her at her new apartment complex. Things grow complicated when Nate and Brenda share a kiss and even more complicated when Lisa goes missing without a trace. During this time, Brenda assists Nate's sister, Claire, in receiving an abortion
. Lisa eventually turns up dead and Nate shows up at Brenda's doorstep badly beaten.
By this point, Brenda and Joe have developed a relationship. Things escalate quickly and the two move in together and begin trying to have a child. Brenda reverts to old habits when she begins sleeping with Nate out of fear of committing to Joe. She admits to sleeping with another man to Joe, and the two attempt to stay together despite Brenda's infidelity. Joe walks in on Brenda and Nate about to have sex and breaks it off with Brenda, permanently. Shortly after, she and Nate get back together and Nate moves in with her. Brenda becomes a surrogate mother to Maya but still desires a child of her own. Nate shows little interest in having another child. Lisa's sister, Barbara, shows considerable distaste in Brenda assisting Nate in raising Maya and eventually learns that Nate may have filled Lisa's urn
with different ashes. She threatens to take Maya away, but it is revealed that her husband may be linked to Lisa's death before he shoots himself
. Following these events, Nate proposes that he and Brenda get married and have a child.
Brenda soon becomes pregnant, but miscarries
the day before her wedding to Nate. She opts to continue on with the wedding regardless, but soon begins to have doubts if she will ever be able to have the normal family she desires, due to her past indiscretions. Brenda begins work as a therapist. Conflict arises when Brenda debates revealing to Maya that she is not her biological mother. Nate believes it is too early to expose Maya to such things. Brenda becomes pregnant again and this time the baby is seemingly healthy, until the doctors begin to worry that the baby may develop Down syndrome
or spina bifida
. Nate pressures Brenda into considering an abortion, but Brenda wants to keep her baby. She and Nate face even more turbulence when Nate begins a friendship with Maggie Sibley and shows an interest in Quakerism, much to Brenda's displeasure. Nate soon begins an affair
with Maggie, but suffers a hemorrhage after his first encounter with her. He goes into a coma
, but wakes up to Brenda at his side. He seems to be doing better, and breaks up with Brenda, most likely with the intention of beginning a relationship with Maggie. He dies before he leaves the hospital, however, leaving Brenda pregnant and alone. She grows scared and leaves Maya with Ruth, which later leads to conflict when Brenda wants Maya back. Brenda then confides in Billy, who had recently broken up with Claire. She soon feels uncomfortable with the incestuous overtones of their relationship and asks him to leave. She delivers a premature baby girl, Willa Fisher Chenowith, who eventually grows healthy enough to leave the hospital.
Brenda later becomes a professor and scholar, particularly in the development of gifted children. She remarries a man named Daniel Nathanson and has another child, Forrest Nathanson. She seemingly remains close friends with Claire Fisher throughout her life. She dies at the age of 82 in 2051 of natural causes, suffering from early signs of Parkinson's disease
. The audio commentary suggests that Billy bores Brenda to death as he is heard still talking about his failed relationship with Claire.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the HBO television series Six Feet Under played by Rachel Griffiths
Rachel Griffiths
Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian film and television actress who came to prominence in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and her Academy Award nominated performance in the 1997 film Hilary and Jackie....
. She was first introduced in the pilot, and remained until the series finale.
Prior to the Pilot
Brenda is the oldest daughter of a wealthy psychiatristPsychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, Bernard Chenowith, and psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
Margaret Chenowith. During her childhood, Brenda's parents were sexually open to their children, along with being promiscuous, often deviating from their respective marital partner. Also during her childhood, Brenda was discovered to be a genius, and, as a result, was the subject of a study by Dr. Gareth Feinberg, PhD. He began documenting her odd behavior, and Brenda, realizing she was being observed, began studying mental disorders and would fake symptoms to spite the doctors. Feinberg published his account and it eventually became the best-selling book Charlotte Light and Dark, the book that would repeatedly haunt Brenda throughout her life. At one point in her life, Brenda planned on attending Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, but opted to remain at home in California when her troubled brother, Billy, ostensibly attempted suicide.
During the series
Brenda is first seen exiting the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
airport with Nate Fisher
Nate Fisher
Nathaniel Samuel "Nate" Fisher, Jr. is a fictional character on the HBO television series Six Feet Under, played by Peter Krause.-Prior to the Pilot:...
. The two have sex in a janitor's closet before Nate receives news that his father has died. The two part ways but continue their sexual relationship. She is now a shiatsu
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is Japanese for "finger pressure;" it is a type of alternative medicine consisting of finger and palm pressure, stretches, and other massage techniques. There is no scientific evidence proving that shiatsu can treat any disease, but shiatsu practitioners promote it as a way to help people...
massage therapist, operating out of her home. Her relationship with Nate continues to grow more serious until Billy suddenly worms his way into her relationship. Billy is a photographer who is often in and out of mental institutions. He exhibits extreme possessiveness over Brenda and even begins stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
her and Nate. The two share matching tattoos on their lower backs, Brenda's being the name Nathaniel, Billy's being Isabel. These names were taken from their favorite childhood book series Nathaniel and Isabel. Billy's obsession with Brenda eventually spirals out of control when he has completely gone off of his medications and removes his tattoo from his body by cutting his skin off. He attempts to remove Brenda's tattoo before she knocks him unconscious and has him institutionalized.
The next summer Brenda decides to return to college and begins the process of writing of a novel. Her attraction to Nate has dwindled and she soon finds herself fantasizing about men outside of her relationship. Nonetheless, she proposes to Nate mid-season, and opts to stay with him, despite his admitting to a brain condition that may cause him to have a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at any time. Sex with Nate has all but subsided when Brenda begins a friendship with a client who is a prostitute. Brenda finds herself inspired by her new friend and eventually performs a handjob
Handjob
Handjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
on one of her clients. Brenda then begins having more random encounters with men outside of her relationship with Nate until it escalates into sexual addiction. Later Nate admits that he cheated on Brenda with Lisa, an old friend from Seattle, and the infidelity resulted in Lisa becoming pregnant. Brenda begins having sex in public areas, attending sex-themed parties and inviting strangers into her home. She details all of these accounts in her novel and Nate eventually discovers that Brenda's writings are not fictional. The two argue before Nate ends the engagement and storms off. Nate and Brenda have one last meeting, Brenda admits her sexual addiction and asks Nate if she can be there when he undergoes brain surgery. He refuses. Brenda packs up her things and leaves her home.
Brenda is next seen returning to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
after a lengthy absence. The reason for her return is initially unknown, but Brenda seems to be fully cured of her addictions. She makes amends with Nate, but discovers that he is now married to Lisa. Later, Brenda's father dies of cancer, three months after being diagnosed. Nate attends the funeral with his new daughter, Maya, much to Lisa's chagrin. Brenda is staying with her mother, but soon moves out and moves in with Billy, however, she quickly departs from Billy's when he attempts to kiss her. She begins a friendship with Joe, a man who lives across the courtyard from her at her new apartment complex. Things grow complicated when Nate and Brenda share a kiss and even more complicated when Lisa goes missing without a trace. During this time, Brenda assists Nate's sister, Claire, in receiving an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Lisa eventually turns up dead and Nate shows up at Brenda's doorstep badly beaten.
By this point, Brenda and Joe have developed a relationship. Things escalate quickly and the two move in together and begin trying to have a child. Brenda reverts to old habits when she begins sleeping with Nate out of fear of committing to Joe. She admits to sleeping with another man to Joe, and the two attempt to stay together despite Brenda's infidelity. Joe walks in on Brenda and Nate about to have sex and breaks it off with Brenda, permanently. Shortly after, she and Nate get back together and Nate moves in with her. Brenda becomes a surrogate mother to Maya but still desires a child of her own. Nate shows little interest in having another child. Lisa's sister, Barbara, shows considerable distaste in Brenda assisting Nate in raising Maya and eventually learns that Nate may have filled Lisa's urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
with different ashes. She threatens to take Maya away, but it is revealed that her husband may be linked to Lisa's death before he shoots himself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Following these events, Nate proposes that he and Brenda get married and have a child.
Brenda soon becomes pregnant, but miscarries
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
the day before her wedding to Nate. She opts to continue on with the wedding regardless, but soon begins to have doubts if she will ever be able to have the normal family she desires, due to her past indiscretions. Brenda begins work as a therapist. Conflict arises when Brenda debates revealing to Maya that she is not her biological mother. Nate believes it is too early to expose Maya to such things. Brenda becomes pregnant again and this time the baby is seemingly healthy, until the doctors begin to worry that the baby may develop Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
or spina bifida
Spina bifida
Spina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
. Nate pressures Brenda into considering an abortion, but Brenda wants to keep her baby. She and Nate face even more turbulence when Nate begins a friendship with Maggie Sibley and shows an interest in Quakerism, much to Brenda's displeasure. Nate soon begins an affair
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
with Maggie, but suffers a hemorrhage after his first encounter with her. He goes into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, but wakes up to Brenda at his side. He seems to be doing better, and breaks up with Brenda, most likely with the intention of beginning a relationship with Maggie. He dies before he leaves the hospital, however, leaving Brenda pregnant and alone. She grows scared and leaves Maya with Ruth, which later leads to conflict when Brenda wants Maya back. Brenda then confides in Billy, who had recently broken up with Claire. She soon feels uncomfortable with the incestuous overtones of their relationship and asks him to leave. She delivers a premature baby girl, Willa Fisher Chenowith, who eventually grows healthy enough to leave the hospital.
Brenda later becomes a professor and scholar, particularly in the development of gifted children. She remarries a man named Daniel Nathanson and has another child, Forrest Nathanson. She seemingly remains close friends with Claire Fisher throughout her life. She dies at the age of 82 in 2051 of natural causes, suffering from early signs of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. The audio commentary suggests that Billy bores Brenda to death as he is heard still talking about his failed relationship with Claire.