I feel like we always talk about the many reasons Duchess goes back to Sparrow, but why does Sparrow always go back to her?? Like yes there’s the poetry of the fact that they’re both drawn to their downfall, for her a boy and for him a noble woman, and I think I talk about Duchess’ inner world a lot, but what about Sparrow?? Part of the beauty of his character is that we never see his perspective, so we can never truly grasp him except for through other characters’ perception of him, which we of course know he manipulates, but what about his inner world?? Through his actions and subtext, the only thing I can really think of is that he’s drawn to Duchess because she proves herself to be the kind of royal that can be thwarted in a way that other royals can’t be (that being they see him more as a rebel than they see him as a commoner, the opposite of Duchess who sees him as more of a commoner than a rebel, so they expect this behaviour from him and don’t intend as much to impose their will on him as she does)??? But I’m also definitely biased because I’m looking at this through swan shaped glasses and I’m not sure that this is a fair reading of his character. So I guess I’m just asking for your thoughts or your own suggestions as to why he keeps going back to her as much as she keeps going back to him
Fun Fact: Sparrows, just like swans, are monogamous and mate for life; and during courtship, males allow females to hit them to show interest. #CANON
Ok,ok, srly: Sparrow's old bio said that he had feelings for Duchess, thus implicitly that the reason he was helping Is because he wanted to win her over. So he's a gooner. However, since Sparrow doesn't have official bio (aka- complete doll profile), we can't take this as canon. But even if it was, knowing the character, Sparrow fell in love with her after spending time together, and not the other way around.
Sure, he probably wants to hits on her by default, but because he's a horny teenager—his desire to bang isn't enought for submitting to Duchess's psychological torture. So, there is something more. (note: I'm assuming the timeline is NTV -> Hunter and Ashlynn's diaries -> THD).
Duchess pov: I think reading it from Duchess's perspective is normal; after all, she's the main pov pf the relationship. In fact, I think it's a good starting point for trying to understand the situation
When the two first teamed up, there was actually a moment where she believed Sparrow,despite his bad boy facade, wanted to help her because he liked her, but we quickly find out why he went to her:
From this point on, Duchess's impression of Sparrow is that he's essentially a person who does nothing without getting something in return. She says this in subsequent chapters as well ("He's not trustworthy. All he cares about is himself") ("She wasn't angry, she knew he couldn't be trusted"). However, his betrayal also lets Duchess know that he's a person who does this kind of wicked work if asked,unlike her friends.
So at this point, an idea has crystallized in her mind: Sparrow stays with to her because she's the only one desperate enough to compromise herself morally to give him something. unlike for example Poppy, who has a crush on him,but prefers her morals.
This idea is reinforced by the H/A diaries: He stole Ash's ring on Duchess's orders. If we assume that Sparrow wanted to use Ashlynn's ring to ask her out, then that means Duchess was the first to tell him, "If you help me get Daring, I'll get you Ashlynn."
And here we come to THD: Duchess goes to Sparrow for help separating Hunter and Ashlynn, and in exchange he gets... nothing. And let's remember: this special is the moment when most of the audience met Duchess and Sparrow! Sure, their first appearance is in Shannon Hale's first book, where he's an asshole and she's a bitch. So the show is telling us, "These characters who have been unlikeable until now have a redeeming quality: They're very good friends and they care about each other."
She's very physical with him, and he calls himself her friend. Not an accomplice, but a friend. So evidently Sparrow has more reasons than just money/gain to be with her. Something in their relationship is deeper than mere alliance.
Sparrow pov: While his intentions towards Duchess were certainly born with utilitarian purposes, I believe that unlike her who remained stagnant in her perception of him, Sparrow actually has a type of personality that has led him to become genuinely fond of her...in his own way.
Sparrow's morality is actually similar to Duchess's. As much of an asshole as he is, it must be said that he has never actually shown any interest in evil crime. Selfish and self-centered? Yeah, evil? No. The reason he initially dislikes Raven is because he considers her evil. Sounds familiar?!:
And Sparrow actually seems to have noticed this similarity:
And this alone could be a first reason why he goes back to her: Duchess and Him are their own thing. out. She's not "One of the boy" nor a "romance girl" girl. Their relationship is theres and theres only. She's not a Merry Men with whom he has to have a relative moral code as their leader but she's not even a girl with whom there is any -textual- romantic purpose.
Which brings us to point 2: Sparrow clearly suffers from social envy in the books. This exchange with Daring sums it up for me.
If he was just after the money, they wouldn't have wanted to get an A on BadWolf's homework. He's ALSO interested in the notoriety that comes with the grade.
Which is interesting because, as much as there is classism on her part, Duchess actually seems to....romanticize him being a rebel.
His "non royal side" is a driven force to her being drawn to him despite everything,and he's likely aware of this. Remember that at the end of the first book, Sparrow argues with the Merry Men because he was too much of a jerk to Raven. Yet this edgy side of his seems to be exactly what Duchess needs from him.
So I think the essential factor is that Sparrow, who has an ego and is competitive, 1) appreciates the fact that a royal is under/dependent on him, as Duchess wants him under/dependent on her as a commoner
But also: Sparrow in Duchess has found someone who feels like him, on a character level.
So while Duchess, for various reasons (betrayal, social class, her own history), has difficulty consciously opening up to the idea of being his friend, Sparrow has actually accepted the fact that, well, the two of them are a good fit.
On the one hand, he considers her useful to his plans, but on the other, he feels genuine compassion for her because he's realized they're similar in their alienation. And obviously, plays on his ego, because she still owes him.
However, Sparrow has also no problem looking for a hypothetical replacement, precisely because he has an ego. A replacement that simply... doesn't exist tho. There are nice girls to hang out with, Holly's rejection won't make him sad. Ditto with the Merry Men, he has other friends anyway. But Duchess? The person who appreciates that he's genuinely a mess? Well, she's irreplaceable. They're both see that uglier side but it is not a reason for separation, on the contrary it keeps them united.
As Ethel Cain says in Crush: Good men die too, so I'd rather be with you. (Extremely them coded song btw)
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