How does Rose of Sharon change?

Rose of Sharon starts out as a young woman with romantic ideas of living in the city with her new husband Connie. She is impractical and emotionally dependent on others. Connie abandons her midway through the trip to California. Her baby is eventually still born and we would think that this final insult would be the end of Rose of Sharon. She, however, does change. She begins to show some of the unwavering spirit of her mother. There is the famous scene at the end of the novel when she suckles the dying man. Some see it as an act of heroism and some see it as downright creepy. Perhaps it's a bit of both but there is little doubt that Rose of Sharon has changed.