I actually really like how Constance's introspection casts her father and how she makes her conclusions about herself from it. Because it is rightfully criticizing him, but it also recognizes his virtue. This doesn't make him a successful person, or one who is good to his family, but you can admire or envy a quality in someone without absolving them of their mistakes or way to do things. Even more so when it's a parent you're considering, these feelings can be complex and difficult to entangle, and this dive into Constance showed that quite well.
I also want to say: if everyone shared some measure of the honesty Constance's father has, the world would probably be a better place. This is not the case, especially among the nobility in this story, but that doesn't mean it's a misguided thing to aspire to. It's not wrong, which is why Constance looks up to it, but it's not going to help them because their world has no room for it. So the Viscount's defining flaw is that he puts the principle above need because he expects his good will to be returned. Meanwhile, Constance's flaw is that she took the concept at its face but never questioned if she actually believed, or was willing to sacrifice for it, until recently.
And now that she's taken a good look at that, she's come out a doubtlessly more capable individual, and a more conscientious character, because she's not going to stand with superficial altruism over doing whatever she can for her family. And that does make her a better, more solid person.
I also want to say: if everyone shared some measure of the honesty Constance's father has, the world would probably be a better place. This is not the case, especially among the nobility in this story, but that doesn't mean it's a misguided thing to aspire to. It's not wrong, which is why Constance looks up to it, but it's not going to help them because their world has no room for it. So the Viscount's defining flaw is that he puts the principle above need because he expects his good will to be returned. Meanwhile, Constance's flaw is that she took the concept at its face but never questioned if she actually believed, or was willing to sacrifice for it, until recently.
And now that she's taken a good look at that, she's come out a doubtlessly more capable individual, and a more conscientious character, because she's not going to stand with superficial altruism over doing whatever she can for her family. And that does make her a better, more solid person.
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