I've been thinking about Peter Clifford and Assumpta Fitzgerald, and how right they are for each other in really interesting and understated ways. I think we can actually see it most clearly when we compare them with their foil characters / romantic rivals, Leo and Jenny.
On a surface level, Peter and Assumpta don't appear to have very much in common. Their connection could be written off as a simple 'opposites attract' dynamic. But I would argue that they do have something very significant in common: they are people of real integrity and strongly-held beliefs. In their own ways, they are not afraid to stand apart from the crowd in the name of those beliefs. It happens that, in religious terms, Peter's and Assumpta's world views are very different -- but in terms of ethics and care for the people around them, they tend to end up on the same side.
Now, I'm not about to suggest that Leo and Jenny don't have any integrity. They're basically decent people, I think. (I'll admit that I'm a little prejudiced against them, but I try not to be!) But it does feel significant that, in Jenny's case, she actively pursues Peter to Ballykissangel and tries repeatedly to persuade him to break his vows -- despite ostensibly being Catholic herself! Whereas Assumpta, who does not believe, respects the importance to Peter of his religious vows, and waits several agonising years for him to come to a decision.
Likewise, on paper, Assumpta and Leo should be a great match. They're both Irish, both college-educated, and presumably see pretty much eye-to-eye on matters religious. But even if it weren't for the way she feels drawn to Peter, I still don't think Assumpta would have settled for Leo. She might consider herself a cynic, but she doesn't like Leo's lack of seriousness or the way he looks down on small town life. She wants and respects -- and actually shares -- the kind of sincerity that Peter lives his life with.
In summary, Peter Clifford and Assumpta Fitzgerald are much more alike than they first appear. And I do think the placement of Leo and Jenny as counterpoints ends up demonstrating that compatibility comes down to something deeper than just a shared cultural background. And -- in case it isn't blazingly obvious -- I love this ship!
