Evility (if that's even a word)

[Matthew Williams]

Okay-I think I've solved the HTML problem.  My apologies to all of you for
junking up your accounts!

I'm fascinated by the discussion of what EVIL is.  I teach literature and
writing courses at a liberal arts university, and I am used to discussing
morality as something that ranges from bright white to off-white to gray to
black.  I think of evil as being 100% black.  I second Katie's definition of
evil meaning COMPLETELY without pity, mercy or compassion.

I've got my copy of the Gladstone comics album from the early nineties that
collects all three of Barks' Glomgold stories, and I'm fascinated by the
evolution of the character.  In "The Second Richest Duck," he is basically
just a copy of Scrooge.  I too LOVE that scene where the boys help him walk
home!  In "The Money Champ," he sells out his integrity in his desperation
to beat Scrooge, but he really seems to be in some serious angst over it.
That line I was trying to remember earlier was this: "I've betrayed my dear
old mother's fondest hopes!  I've turned myself into a scoundrel-all to win
the title of world's richest duck!"  At this point, I certainly don't view
him as evil.  BUT it's hard to ignore how ruthless he is in "So Far and No
Safari."  I'm particularly struck by the scene where he is disguised as a
witch doctor and our heroes come to his aid.  He actually thinks, "My
business is still to see that my kindly rescuer never gets to that mine
auction."  Now that IS evil!  Wanting to annihilate the ducks simply for
financial gain is evil alone, but to recognize someone as kind and still
want to do them great harm.well, that's rough!

Where does that leave us with the character, though?  Which is the true
Flintheart?  It makes me wonder about Barks and how his attitudes towards
life and the rest of the world changed from 1956 to 1958 to 1965.

Oh and Olaf-I'm not sure about the good Mr. Barks, but I assure you that
instead of referring to you as a "foreigner," I would refer to you as "a
fellow citizen of the world"!

Matt Williams