2. Background
Duror is the gamekeeper who falls into despair,
insanity and suicide. He is originally a manly figure
who has, over the years, become lacking in self-esteem.
He married a lovely girl only to see her fall
ill and become a gross, obese figure that he cannot
bear to touch or talk to. As a result of his wife’s
illness he now has to cope with the constant grief
he gets from his mother which lowers his self-esteem
even more. He transfers his feelings of love
and lust onto his employer, Lady Runcie-Campbell
and tries to turn her against Calum the
hunchbacked cone-gatherer.
3. Personality
Duror is a very complicated character in that it seems as if
he has a mental condition as if he has forced himself to
put up a front and not show emotions. Duror’s
personality is made up of all different layers. The outer
layer is a front where he hides his emotions from other
people, while on the inside he needs to be cared for and
has an almost child like mind that sometimes needs to be
calmed down. “plined himself to hide suffering.” (pg 22)
and “iron mask of determination.” (pg 22) both of these
show how Duror puts up a front to hide his inner
emotions from other people. Duror’s mind is unstable
and his hatred for Calum is always growing.
4. Appearance
Duror almost has the appearance of a drunk
man. He is unshaven, slack-mouthed and looks
rather simple. He looks a lot older than he
actually is and he looks ill to other people, due
to his unkempt state.
5. Relationships
Calum
The relationship between Calum and Duror plays a huge
part within the novel. Duror almost sees himself within
Calum. “he hated the hunchback so profoundly and yet
was so fascinated by him. For many years his life had
been stunted, misshapen, obscene and hideous; and this
misbegotten creature was its personification.” Duror
hates how Calum is deformed but has a beautiful face.
Also he sees himself within Calum in that on the surface
he looks happy but underneath he is almost corrupted –
he doesn’t have a normal life or happy life where as
Calum does.
6. Relationships
The hatred Duror has for Calum makes him want to get him
out of the woods but after the deer drive takes place he
changes his mind. He thinks that if Calum stays in the wood
then he will suffer as much as he does. On page 95 Duror
thinks, “if the crooked little imbecile was sent back now to the
forest at Ardmore, he would live happily there whilst here in
the wood Duror’s own torment continued.”
Neil and Calum
It also seems Duror is jealous of the special bond Calum has
with his brother Neil and he almost sees himself as a third
brother. “Again he threw a glance of hatred at the little cone-gatherer.”
This shows how much hatred Duror actually has for
Calum and how he expresses this hatred.
7. Motivations
Initial motivations
It is very clear from the beginning that Duror
doesn’t want the cone-gatherers in the woods
collecting cones and in order to get them banished
from the woods he plans to discredit Calum to Lady
Runcie-Campbell by telling people that he saw him
indecently dressed in the woods. This would mean
Calum would get a black mark against his name and
could potentially lose his job.
8. Motivations
After the Deer Drive
Up to the deer drive Duror sticks with this
intention to get Calum and Neil sent home from
the woods but after the deer drive he thinks
why should they be sent home to live happily
while he has to stay and suffer.
9. Motivations
Outcome of motivations
At the end of the novel Duror takes his gun and walks into
the woods to find the cone-gatherers. He murders Calum
then he commits suicide. “though he smiled, he was
dead.” (pg 219) this describes Calum after he has been
shot and how even though he was smiling and looked
happy he was dead. It shows he died doing something
that he loved, climbing trees and collecting cones with his
brother Neil. “Duror, with his face shattered and bloody,
lay dead.” (pg 219) this is a complete contrast to how
Calum was described . This suggests Duror experienced a
more painful and gruesome death.
10. My own opinion of Duror
As I character I felt some sympathy at first as we
learnt about his life and how he has had to cope
with a seriously ill wife. Although after the deer
drive where he shows his madness for the first
time in public, I lost most of this sympathy and
he became of symbol of evil trying to try destroy
the good in the world which is represented by
Calum.
