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The Mitford Affair


An explosive novel of history's most notorious sisters, one of whom will have to...
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Though Nancy understands the danger of the radio station documents, her loyalty to Diana wins out for a long time. How does that compare to Diana's treatment of Unity?

Created: 01/12/23

Replies: 13

Posted Jan. 12, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Though Nancy understands the danger of the radio station documents, her loyalty to Diana wins out for a long time. How does that compare to Diana's treatment of Unity?

Though Nancy is clever enough to understand the danger of the radio station documents, her loyalty to Diana wins out for a long time. How, in your opinion, does that compare to Diana's treatment of Unity?


Posted Jan. 12, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ruthiea

Join Date: 02/03/14

Posts: 271

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Nancy finds it hard to turn over information that would put her sister in jail. She stalls and tries to talk herself out of doing so. She knows that Churchill is aware that she has information, but she doesn't want to betray her sister or lose the love of her parents.

Diana is a self serving person. She will do what she has to to get what she wants. Her attraction to Mosley matters more than her marriage, her children, her family, and her reputation. When Unity is no longer of use to her, she turns on her, spits disdain for her and does whatever she can to distance herself from the shame of Unity's actions.


Posted Jan. 12, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Gabi

Join Date: 02/22/21

Posts: 99

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Whereas Nancy struggles with her decision to turn over the incriminating radio documents out of her loyalty for Diana, Diana doesn’t think twice about intentionally manipulating Unity for her own self-serving purposes. Additionally, while Nancy experiences some remorse and second-guessing as she makes her ultimate decision, Diana’s actions are done with little to no guilt or thought for what her choices mean for Unity.


Posted Jan. 12, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebajane

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 320

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Diana is the most self absorbed of the sisters. Leaving her children, sacrificing Unity, it all depends on what is best for herself


Posted Jan. 12, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
cindyb

Join Date: 04/14/20

Posts: 110

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Unity admired Diana and worked to emulate her through her work with the Nazi party. It was so sad to realize that Diana ‘s interest in her sister was so self serving. Diana was beautiful and intelligent but a narcissist.


Posted Jan. 13, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Marcia S

Join Date: 02/08/16

Posts: 505

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Diana was a "user." Unity helped serve a purpose to aid Diana by living in Germany and ingratiating herself to Hitler. I don't believe Diana really cared about Unity.
Nancy did care and had loyalty and love for her sisters, so had a protective inclination toward Diana. On another note, perhaps she didn't want to drag her family through the scandal of revealing the truth! However, she did the right thing in the end.


Posted Jan. 13, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
paulak

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 264

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Diana does not seem to have the same compunction as Nancy. After all, look at how Diana manipulated Nancy's love life, even though she thought she was acting in Nancy's best interests. I agree with Marcia that Diana was a user. She reminds me of an Alexis Carrington type character (for those Dynasty fans). In fact, a young Joan Collins would have made for a great Diana!


Posted Jan. 14, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
juliep

Join Date: 04/07/12

Posts: 250

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

I agree with all of the above. Nancy really loved her sisters, in spite of their imperfections and political beliefs. Diane was attracted to M like a magnet, and everything she did was for him, and also for herself. Unity was a strange character who had a fascination with Hitler from a young age, but she was always striving for attention, love and approval, from Hitler and from her family. Diana’s treatment of Unity was shameful; she should have warned her family of Unity’s talk of self destruction, so I partially blame her.


Posted Jan. 15, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
carriem

Join Date: 10/19/20

Posts: 237

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Nancy is determined not hand over the incriminating radio documents out of loyalty and love towards her sisters though she knew that Churchill was well aware that she was in possession of these but she had to in the end. On the other hand Diana does not think twice about using Unity for her purpose to gain notice in Germany, thus not the loyal sister.


Posted Jan. 15, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Elizabetta

Join Date: 04/24/21

Posts: 48

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Nancy and Diana operate from an entirely different set of values. Nancy’s loyalty to her family leads her to procrastinate in turning over incriminating documents, but ultimately her sense of right wins out. Diana’s loyalty is to Mosley and that trumps all else. She’s also to self involved to recognize someone else’s pain and consequently doesn’t see Unity’s deterioration.


Posted Jan. 16, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
linz

Join Date: 08/12/15

Posts: 167

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Nancy was cautious with the information she had about her sister. There was nothing caustious about Diana, She saw someone she wanted, no matter that she and Mosley were both married to someone else, that she had children who would be affected. She thought a lot of herself and wanted to be the most influential person in the room.


Posted Jan. 18, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
forann

Join Date: 03/11/14

Posts: 18

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Diana was the most flawed character, in my opinion. She was self-serving to the end. There was an innocence about Unity, but Diana would use anyone for her purpose, even at the expense of her sister. While Diana ended up in prison, Unity never recovered from the traumatic brain injury. In researching this event and the results, I read that Diana was later released from prison, moved to France, and reconnected with her sister Nancy.


Posted Jan. 19, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
MariontheLibrarian

Join Date: 05/27/21

Posts: 43

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

Family dynamics are so interesting. I think the parents attitudes and values and how the girls were educated also played a role. Diana was the beautiful socialite and used her beauty to help her get whatever she needed and wanted. Within the family dynamic she did the same. Nancy, while more intellectual, maybe because she was more intellectual and thought things through a little more, was more cautious. Unity was big and gawky and wanted to have attention like Diana. In the end, Nancy's more cautious and thoughtful personality helped her make a country over self over family choice.


Posted Jan. 19, 2023 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
nancyh

Join Date: 06/25/13

Posts: 347

RE: Though Nancy understands the danger ...

It is hard to add to the above comments. I think we all agree that Diana would use whatever means available to help Mosley. She was prefectly willing to use Unity to get to Hilter. I believe Unity felt she got recognition in Germany that she did not get from her family. Nancy did not pass the information on to Churhill out of love for her family. A completely different story.


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