This part introduces the Davenant family and the stifling Puritan atmosphere that shapes Clytie Davenant’s early life. As an aspiring artist, Clytie begins to question a world that suppresses emotion, individuality, and creative ambition. Her desires clash with her father’s rigid values and her family’s insistence on tradition and propriety. These chapters establish the internal awakening that marks the beginning of Clytie’s struggle for self-definition.
