$crooge's Sentimental side

kathy fitzpatrick kfitz at halcyon.com
Sun Oct 8 09:18:44 CET 1995


James, Don,

One of my favorite Uncle $crooge's sentimental moments is from Don's, "His
Majest, McDuck" (our second favorite Rosa story by the way).  It is in the
beginning and ending scene when $crooge is feeding the pigeon's from his
money bin office window.  The expression on $scrooge's face indicates to me
that he has learned to find happiness in this world.  He just isn't too keen
on anyone else knowing about it.  In the ending scene of course, he has put
the pigeon's food on the very piece of evidence he claimed he had accidently
destroyed in order to gracefully save Duckburg, if not the US of A.  Two
very powerful and revealing scenes.  So there!  

And, James, if anyone wants to say "yuk" to your or my comments then "Fah"
to them.  I reserve the right to be sloppy sentimental just as does Uncle
$crooge.

Kathy

>
>Dear Don:
>
>Well, just read "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" part 11. What can 
>I say, but congrats, Don, on a well-written and throughly enjoyable 
>story. This may have been Scrooge's "darkest" story as he finally morally 
>stumbles after his long and until this point morale career. 
>
>My one criticism is that ever after Scrooge's "repentance" he still has a 
>great deal to answer for. Chasing others off their land, and in the way 
>he did it, is obviously something he must atone for. 
>
>Even in the Barks story where Donald must "pay" for Scrooge's sin, 
>Scrooge seems to get off very lightly for his indiscretion. This might be 
>something to draw back on in future stories (maybe). 
>
>I love the ending which the little Donald and the circle of light he's 
>in.  It's a perfect intro for the two and it certainly foreshadows the 
>coming protagonist/antagonist relationship between the two. Still, there 
>is something very tender between the two, and it may be that link to 
>Hortense that does it. 
>
>In a strange way, I see this story taking on a Dickensian parallel. Just 
>as Ebenezer Scrooge turned bitter after his sister's death and the loss 
>of his family, so too, is this happening to Scrooge McDuck. 
>
>Don, I can hardly wait for the Christmas story, and I hope it ties 
>everything up with a sentimental, yet positive ending.  From you earlier 
>letter, I know you compared the difference between Donald, the happy 
>failure, and Scrooge, the not-so happy success. Barks' ending to a "Poor 
>Old Man" is referred heavily, and while there is some truth to Scrooge 
>learning to be happy with what he has, I don't believe that is the whole 
>story. While Scrooge may seem to be on the surface, this crusty, bitter 
>old duck; the readers know that there is much more to him than that hard 
>shelled exterior. It may never be in your power to do so, but if there 
>ever was a "last" Scrooge McDuck story, it would give me great 
>satisfaction to know that he would recouncile with Goldie, or even the 
>memories of his beloved lost family. 
>
>Just a thought that I know everybody is going "yuck" at. 
>
>
>One last question Don: How many Duck stories have you written that 
>haven't been published in the states yet? 
>
>James Smith III
>Williston ND 
>
>




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