Young Ducks and their emotions

[Dan Shane]

 SANTIAGO WRITES:

> Sorry, but I cannot see why you seem to see romance as a duty 
> instead of a joy. Moreover, falling in love is not a kind of 
> task one usually imposes to himself, but a natural "accident" 
> that sometimes happens. I just think that could happen to HDL 
> occasionally, just like it happens to some children of their age.

AND MY RESPONSE IS:

Oh, I agree that it COULD happen to the nephews, as it can to anyone.  I'm
just saying I don't want to see it happen, as it would ruin my perception of
their "all boy" personalities.  Certainly lots of kids of the same age as
HD&L "fall in love", but I just don't see our boys doing so.  If anyone
writes a story where one of them forms a crush on a girl I will immediately
dismiss that tale as non-canonical.

THEN SANTIAGO ASKS:

> Do you really think that emotional maturity is not linked 
> *anyway* with rational maturity? 

AND I ANSWER:

No, I absolutely believe that the figurative heart can motivate individuals
to perform beneficial and well-reasoned acts, such as you list here:

> Then, let me pose these other examples instead: (May I go on 
> with Barks?)
> 	-In "You can't guess", HDL feel fed up with toys and 
> decide to let Santa Claus give their toys to the poor children;
> 	-In "The golden river", HDL stay with Scrooge and take 
> care of him even after he's been so mean not to give'em money 
> for their sport field;
> 	-In "No such varmint", HDL are worried about Donald 
> getting a good job while he is only wandering about playing 
> his flute here and there;
> 	-In "The secret of Hondorica", HDL force Donald to 
> rescue Gladstone from the natives' village, even if he's 
> going to keep half the reward they will get from Scrooge;
> 	-In "Back to the Klondike", HDL feel guilty after they 
> have discovered Gliterring Goldie to Scrooge;
> 	-In "The old castle's secret", HDL are the only ones 
> who pursue the ghost ("Uncle Quackly") never letting him 
> frighten them;
> 	-In "The golden helmet", HDL are the only ones 
> sensitive enough to let the helmet sunk instead of owning it 
> to be the masters of America.

But the original post was about romantic love, not brotherly love (Greek
root 'philia') or the principled love (Greek root 'agape') for mankind that
motivates people to perform good deeds.  None of the examples you listed has
anything to do with "falling in love" (Greek root 'eros').  I am foursquare
on your side about the nephews' fine character and unselfish love that
impels them to help their family and friends.

However, if you are going to claim that sympathy and caring have any kinship
with the animal attraction that typifies romantic love I fear your argument
will fall on deaf ears.  Kids can show love by sharing and thinking of
others ahead of themselves.  They develop this ability early on.  And some
youngsters also fall in love, either because they are imitating the
affection their parents show each other or (regrettably) emulating the
infatuations of others.  But it didn't happen to me or my siblings, and none
of my 4 children demonstrated such feelings until they were teenagers.

And I still maintain that just because something CAN AND DOES HAPPEN in our
society, that does not mean it has to happen to my heroes.  I recognize very
well the foibles and imperfections of my favorite characters.  Donald is
somewhat slothful and perhaps overly carefree.  $crooge is miserly and does
not immediately think of others.  The nephews seem to be the closest to
ethical perfection of any characters in the Duck comics, though they can
still occasionally be prankish and disobedient (as pre-teens often are).
But I still cannot picture them attracted to girls in a romantic way -- it
would just not be the HD&L I knew as a kid and as I view them now.