Donald

Donald Farfrae is a very important character in Thomas Hardy’s tragic novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, published in 1886. He is the exact opposite of Michael Henchard, whose shocking act of selling his wife and child to a sailor drives the plot of the book. Both men become mayor of Casterbridge, but that is all they have in common. Donald is a good and gentle man who befriends Henchard (not knowing his secret) and, through his superior knowledge and education, leads Henchard to great success. He is paid for his kindness with Michael’s rising jealousy of him, which leads him to fire Donald. Henchard’s fortunes turn sour, though, and for once virtue is rewarded – Donald’s fortunes only rise. Ultimately, he becomes the greater success, he has the happier marriages, and he is by far the better liked. Even when he knows all about Henchard, and has been on the receiving end of Henchard’s base acts, Donald still finds room for forgiveness and understanding. And in spite of all this, Donald never comes across as holier-than-thou; he is simply that rarest of creatures – a thoroughly good man.

Donald Duck is the charmingly bad-tempered cartoon character created by the Walt Disney group, appearing for the first time in 1934 in “The Wise Little Hen”. As time went by, his role grew larger and larger, and he spun off from the shadow of his friend and competitor, Mickey Mouse, to work solo. No super hero, Donald is created in the image of most men – he has some good in him; he has some bad in him. Sometimes he wins; sometimes he loses. Strutting around in his sailor suit and cap, Donald cuts a fine figure, and is very attractive to his lady-love, Daisy Duck. He also acts as a part-time guardian for his three nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, who often reduce him to unintelligible squawks with their antics. He is often accused of being lazy, but he puts a lot of energy into his every action. A good deal of his time is spent worrying about the likelihood of his inheriting the vast fortunes of his uncle, Scrooge McDuck. But the best part of Donald, and the reason for his long and hearty life, is simply that he is one funny duck.