How does Lucy characterize her relationships with William and David? Do you think one husband suited her more than the other?

How does Lucy characterize her relationships with William and David, in your view? How does each man complement her in a different way?

Do you think one husband suited her more than the other?

I think David was a much better match for Lucy. She seemed much happier with him then she was with William. She stopped feeling stable with William and obviously was no longer in love with him and she describes feeling content with her life with David

Lucy had a very difficult childhood. She needed a partner who would give her safety and security. William was unable to be faithful to Lucy. David seemed to love and cherish Lucy. I think that William brought our Lucy's insecurities while David gave Lucy peace and comfort.

It's perfectly put (cathyoc) that "William brought out Lucy's insecurities while David gave Lucy peace and comfort." I think that William, in spite of sharing his vulnerabilities with Lucy, also felt he was above her. I'm not suggesting he didn't love her in his way, but I think he wasn't the man to be with a sensitive woman like Lucy. His needs came first (for both of them). I imagine (from the way she's described life and situations with the two of them) she was usually on the defensive, trying to be "better," looking for William's approval. David, on the other hand, didn't judge her -- he loved her for who she was and that's a lovely, warm and fuzzy atmosphere to thrive in.

William seemed to require a mother's attention. Catherine was in his life and their marriage for a long period of time. He expected Lucy, in a way, to continue to play that roll. He overlooked many of Lucy's needs, yet accused her of being "self absorbed". David and Lucy had a marriage based on love, not need. Each was comfortable being themselves and growing as individuals.

William provided safety and authority - exactly what she needed after her tumultuous and abusive childhood. As she said, “It is as though William ushered me into the world. No matter what anyone says, we crave that sense of authority. Of believing that in the presence of this person, we are safe.” David on the other was pure love. She grew beyond William and found someone who simply loved and adored her for who she was. “Never in a thousand years would he have laughed at me. Never. For anything.”

I think initially William affirmed that Lucy was a person who was worthy of love which she needed after her disfunctional family life. I think she deeply loved him until his infidelities came to life and her sense of betrayal was more than she could handle.

David wasn’t ever critical of Lucy. He totally loved her which made her feel secure and loved

I don't think there's really enough information here to make that call. There's not a lot about her relationship with David. For that reason, I kind of feel like she mostly cohabitated with David, that they were partners, not necessarily lovers. It seems like life with William had a lot more drama, but I think it may have also had more passion.

Each husband filled a different need, each appropriate at the time. She may have ‘felt safe’ with William, but she also felt inferior, striving to be good enough. I think she felt peace with David and understanding and acceptance. If we consider a human being’s basic needs, safety is one of the basic needs after food for babies, while peace indicates a more developed personality. (Simplistic description but I trust everyone in the forum knows what I mean.)

William helped Lucy escape navigate the new world she found herself in after college. He provided her a sense of security and safety, and she appreciated that and was probably grateful to him. However, Lucy loved David; while she may have loved William at some point and on some level (at least, before learning of the affairs), she truly, truly loved David and felt his absence more painfully than that of being without William.

Lucy met William at a very vulnerable time. She was attracted to his appearance of authority and felt safe with him. I imagine that his infidelities shattered her feelings of being safe. She chose David and seemed to truly feel loved and safe with him. She said that, unlike William, he would never laugh at her. I’m glad she found David.

It seems that David was a better match for Lucy, but we weren't given an intimate portrait of their marriage. I'm not sure how long they were married - I had the impression that it was a marriage cut short by his illness.

Lucy and William married when she was young and lacked a lot of confidence in herself. William had plenty of confidence; he oozed authority and self-centeredness. This dynamic in their marriage worked for many years, but as Lucy developed into a successful writer and capable mother, she no longer needed or desired a husband that was so self-involved. William's affairs and his emotional remoteness caused her to decide to end the marriage.
In the case of David, although the reader doesn't know too many details about Lucy and David's marriage, there seemed to be more of a mutual respect and equality in their relationship.

Lucy had a terrible childhood so right in college she met William and his authority was soothing to her. But as the years went by and she was an author and mother she started valuing herself more. William's infidelities cost the marriage to fail. David was her equal and he treasured her which she needed.