James and Cherryl
Did james marry her to prove something?
shareJames married Cherryl because he found it so delightful that someone looked up to him as a hero, and because he had a comfortable sense of superiority in condescending to marry a poor shopgirl.
It doesn't take long before she figures out he is a totally incompetent leech, and he realizes that she wants to grow and learn and not remain his unquestioningly adoring grateful little hanger-on forever. The marriage is a disaster.
(I have to say that when reading the book, I wished that Cherryl and Eddie Willers would get together in the end. Alas, that doesn't happen.)