While attending Queen Victoria girls' school, she was taught to memorise a poem about daffodils. (This poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" was written by William Wordsworth roughly two centuries ago.) The poem recalls the beauty of daffodils that the speaker has seen years ago. Lucy cannot appreciate this beauty, because daffodils do not grow on her island. After reciting the poem, Lucy is applauded and she explains that at this moment she feels fake. She feels like people see her as English on the inside, despite her strong antipathy towards them. The daffodils represent Lucy's alienation from both her education, and from her new home.