Lucy has a variety of traits which combine to make her life an uphill battle. She is white, a woman, a farmer, and a lesbian. All analysis of her actions and psychology need to begin with the fact that her life is fraught with challenges.

One of the things which may be hardest to understand about Lucy is why she refuses to report the fact that the men who broke into her home also raped her. It is equally perplexing that although Lucy knows that her neighbor and business partner, Petrus, had something to do with the attack, Lucy does not sever ties with him. These actions (or lack thereof) stem from Lucy's deep understanding of her fragile position within the farming community in which she lives and works.

The experience of being raped has a profound effect on the relationship between Lucy and David. Having been through a similar experience to the one that David put Melanie through, Lucy shuts her father out, withdrawing from the world into a state of insomnia and inner turmoil.

Lucy's later actions seem even harder to understand. Upon realizing that she is pregnant as a result of the rape, she marries Petrus. Ultimately, all Lucy's actions show that she is emotionally tied to life on the land, and it seems that she will do almost anything to keep this way of life and not cause any waves in her community.