Early on, Quinn derides Ted Ledbetter, but near the end his opinion changes. What has changed? How is it that we so often end up admiring our rivals?

Early on, Quinn derides Ted Ledbetter as "a middle-school teacher and single father who claimed to love woodland hikes." And yet, near the end, he thinks: "He wanted to be—God help him—Ted Ledbetter." What has changed? How is it that we so often end up admiring our rivals?

Quinn originally saw Ted as a rival and do-gooder. Quinn hadn't been a good husband or father, but he didn't want Belle to no longer be in his life. Quinn finally matured enough to see that Ted was a good and caring person. When Quinn learned to look beyond himself, he could honestly look at others.

He did not like Ted in the beginning as he was Mr Perfect and also wanted to marry Belle. In the end I believe Quinn knew that this would be a good person for Belle. She needed a good steady man in her life.

I think Quinn realized in the end that he had had his chance with Belle, and that chance was over for him. Belle needed someone like Ted at this point, someone strong and reliable, to start a new life with. And he wanted what was best for Belle, so his opinion towards Ted was able to mature.

I think through learning and finally loving his son, Quinn grew up. There were others factors that made Quinn grow up. Once Quinn matured, he finally saw the light about Ted and everything in his life.

Thanks to the boy and Ona, Quinn achieves maturation. He can look at Ted Ledbetter, not as a rival, but as a better partner for Belle, and by doing so, Quinn can move on in his life.

Often in our lives when we meet someone who challenges us or who we think is better than we are, we are threatened by that person. That is when we work hard to belittle that person. This is typical behavior until we grow enough to recognize what we are doing. That is the case with Quinn, I believe, and once we became the man he was capable of being, Ted was no long a threat, but and equal, and he was pleased that Belle had found him.

I agree with Susiej. I think Quinn wasn't capable of taking ownership for his own behaviors. Once he really came to know and love his son, he was able to heal a lot of the shame he carried. Than he was able to appreciate Ted for the good man he was to son, Belle and Ona.

It isn't fair to form early opinions about people who challenge us. When we see them as rivals, it limits our ability to appreciate their good points.

Quinn didn't like Ted at first. He saw in Ted all the things he was lacking in himslef. Quinn began to see that Ted was a good guy. I think the part in the book when he went up to Quinn and told him "I loved your son" really made Quinn see what a good guy Ted was. At that point in the book, Quinn did not love his son like he should have. Quinn also got to see how Ted treated Belle and how much he cared for her. He even was there to help with Ona. I think it was nice that Quinn and Belle could be friends and let go of years of anger and dissappointment. Quinn began to admire Ted and knew he would be a good husband for Belle.

Quinn did not want to let go of Belle. The more he saw her the more he realized how broken she was and knew he could not fix her. He did come to admire Ted and trust him.