This story deals with the human condition – it does not undertake to find the solution or to resolve the situation, it just
states the problem as it is… The author says that it is difficult for us to really appreciate the finer qualities of the people we know very well; people we are living with, people we may be seeing every other day. We just tend to take these people for granted.
relationship with them can best be described as superficial.> Other people, on the other hand, have no trouble in finding virtue in them.
The reason Larry feels comfortable with May is that their family backgrounds are compatible. The author says that there was love at first sight between Larry and May’s father! What he means to say is that Larry was treated as a family member, and felt accepted as part of May’s family. There was no pretence between them, there was even no need for pretence. May’s father’s attitude was generally helpful, he even helped Larry get a job when he lost his previous job. When Larry and May quarreled, their quarrels were family quarrels, not disputes between strangers. Besides, being accepted by her family members meant that it was that much easier for May to accept Larry as well.
May herself is a different sort of person from Nancy. She is described as a direct, down to earth sort of person by the author. She harbors no illusions about him, nor about their relationship. It is with May that Larry decides to have a serious, long-term relationship. It is only during a chance encounter with Nancy later on that Larry begins to wonder: what if? What would life have been like if he had chosen Nancy instead? Would he still be practicing his French and German?! In other words, Larry was able to have an honest relationship with May, instead of one based on fantasy and make-believe.
The title of the story – The Duke’s Children – refers to people like Larry who have difficulty in accepting their station in life. The only escape from the harsh and somewhat dreary reality is to indulge in fantasy and make-believe. However, the author tells us, real life relationships (person to person relationships) cannot be based upon escapism and make-belief. Because there is no substance to them.
In essence, this story is not about May and Nancy; but about why Larry’s relationship with one succeds while the other is doomed to failure.