Daisy Darker

“I was born with a broken heart.”

This is how Daisy Darker introduces herself in the opening line of the novel. Highlighting the motif of Broken Hearts, the statement illustrates how the protagonist sees her rare medical condition as a defining characteristic. Her “broken heart” shapes her life by marking her out as “damaged” and plays a key role in her death. The novel’s opening line also establishes the circular structure of the narrative, which ends with a repetition of this statement.

“There were plenty of other—better—options, but she chose to name me after a flower that often gets picked, trampled on, or made into chains.”

Here, the protagonist reflects on her mother’s decision to call her Daisy. Feeling the choice shows Nancy’s disregard for her, Daisy compares the way she is overlooked and dismissed by others to the fate of the flowers bearing her name. Her observation draws on the novel’s recurring floral motif.

“Pity fades with age, hate is lost and found, but guilt can last a lifetime.”

Referring to the Darker family’s concealment of her death, Daisy highlights the connection between secrets and the long-lasting effects of guilt, speaking to the theme of The Damaging Effects of Secrets. While the family succeeds in keeping their secret from the outside world, guilt is shown to eat away at the characters in different ways.