The beginning of the story we learn that it is World War one and that Davy's mother is absent; overseas nursing injured soldiers. Therefore the early years of Davy's life are spent in the absence of his mothers care and love. When his mother returns, the family home is turned into a kind of hospital come invalid hostel, constantly filled with images of death and war.
Davy's father is an emotionally absent and abusive character; he abuses both his sons and his wife. The relationship between both parents is therefore not one of love and happiness but of obligation and sadness. This is also true of the relationship that Davy's father has with both sons, it is a bitter and vengeful one. This has a profound effect on the story and on Davy's life. Davy grows up being uncertain of females because of his father's treatment of his mother. .
Davy is teased and taunted throughout his younger years for being different; he is smart, shy and unattractive, much more interested in reading and writing than sports and girls. Often contrasted to his typical alpha male brother Jack, he is made unmistakeably aware of his differences and therefore adapts his life to a socially displaced position, unaware of romantic love and the love of typical 'Aussie mate ship'.
Because of his awareness of his differences and therefore his displaced position in society, Davy is uncomfortable with and wary of forming loving relationships with people, he seems to constantly question the motives of those around him. This is true in such instances as at Kliebendorff and Hardtt, the lithographic company; his ties to his workmates were insincere. The lithographic artists were generous and friendly towards Davy, but, he betrayed these relationships, by doing such things as passing off others works as his own, and failing to attend classes which he had promised to attend. This lack of love towards those around him seemed to lead into a complete selfishness.
