Impact of a Loving Childhood

The novel The Duke and I contrasts the impact a loving family life, like Daphne’s, can have on a child with the impact that a childhood of rejection, like Simon’s, can have. Daphne and Simon had drastically different childhoods as demonstrated by Daphne’s desire to have a large family while Simon does not want to have children at all. Daphne’s experiences have led her to believe that love makes everything easier to deal with, but Simon is not so sure. Quinn uses the example of Colin and Penelope’s love for Georgie despite his unwillingness to talk to prove Daphne’s point.

Because Daphne grew up in a big, loving family, she cannot imagine anything different for herself. She tells Simon when they first meet one another: “I want a husband. I want a family. It’s not...