In The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare, Daniel tries to resist his growing love for Thacia. She is beautiful and kind and intelligent. She is also brave and caring and spirited. She even loves Daniel's sister, Leah. There are so many reasons for Daniel to love Thacia, yet he feels that he can never marry her.

First, Thacia is of a higher social class than Daniel. He is a blacksmith from a poor family. She is the daughter of a wealthy rabbi. Daniel does not see how they can ever make their unequal pairing work. They come from different families, different backgrounds, and sometimes, it seems, even different worlds. Yet Thacia is just as brave as Daniel is when it comes to their vow to “live and die for God's victory.” She does not see the problem by which Daniel is so disturbed. In her eyes, there is far more to unite them then to separate them.

Daniel has another issue, however. He has promised himself that he would fight against the Romans at all costs and avenge the deaths of his parents. He thinks that he has to carry out this vow alone, that there is no place in his life for others, certainly not for a wife. He feels that he must have a single purpose and nothing to distract him, not even love, not even Thacia.

By the end of the story, though, Daniel realizes that he has been wrong. When he finally decides to follow Jesus and when Jesus heals Leah, Daniel realizes that love is what will win every battle. He looks at Thacia and feels an unspoken vow pass between them.

In *The Bronze Bow*, why does Daniel feel he cannot marry Thacia?

As Daniel gets to know Thacia better and as he begins living in the village and being exposed to people who live in family units, including his friend Nathan, he begins to feel angry at the fact that he could never marry Thacia. Two reasons stand out in his mind as insurmountable obstacles to a life with Thacia. First is his own commitment to overthrowing Rome. He has taken a vow, and he lives for one thing only, namely, freeing his people from Roman domination. This prevents him from taking a wife not only because he must remain single-minded to carry out his mission, but also because he will be putting his life in great danger, and that would be an unacceptable thing to do if he was responsible for a wife. Secondly, Thacia's position in society is much higher than Daniel's, meaning that Thacia's father would normally never consider such a match for her. However, Thacia's father and mother originally determined they would allow Thacia to choose her own husband rather than arranging a marriage for her. Nevertheless, Daniel made a bad impression on her father, and he no doubt feels embarrassed by that. The ultimate reason for not marrying, though, as he tells Thacia in chapter 22, is that because of the deep hatred and vengeance that fills his heart, "There is no room for anyone else." 

In The Bronze Bow, why does Daniel think he could never marry Thacia?

Daniel's feelings for Thacia have been secondary to his mission, to get revenge against the Romans for killing his father and uncle. Daniel has not allowed himself to act on his feelings, even when he feels that Thacia shares them. Despite this, and despite his knowledge that she would reciprocate if he asked, he is overcome with emotion when Joel tells him that Thacia's father wants to marry her off to someone else.

"She must choose," he burst out now, too harshly. "Someone of her own kind. Your father is right. And you will have to choose too, before long."
"And you?" Joel asked quietly.
"I have no choice. How can a man who is sworn to vengeance and death take a wife?"
(Speare, The Bronze Bow, Google Books)

Daniel believes that he is destined to die seeking revenge; it has empowered him and motivated him for so long that he is not entirely in control of his feelings. He thinks that seeking revenge is his only mission, and so he would be unsuitable for Thacia; he would be unable to make her happy because of his single-minded drive. Fortunately, events allow Daniel to see past his vengeance and grow more emotionally stable, and he allows himself to feel hope for his own future beyond revenge.