ONA
Description
Duncan is a blind, elderly musician who resides in a secluded castle in Scotland. A former genius composer, he is now semi-retired and deeply embittered, spending his days working on a musical piece that he has been unable to complete for many years. He is depicted as a misanthropic and stubborn individual, often taking out his frustrations on the robots who come to serve as his butlers. Duncan harbors a strong prejudice against robots, believing them to be soulless machines incapable of creating true art or understanding the human emotion required to play music. He is particularly hostile towards North No. 2, a weapon of war, dismissing any attempt at playing the piano as a hollow imitation lacking genuine artistic merit.
Duncan's personality is largely shaped by a deep, unresolved trauma from his childhood involving his mother. He carries the belief that his mother abandoned him when he was sick to marry a wealthy man, a wound that has festered into a powerful hatred that both sustains and isolates him. This hatred, while painful, serves as a mechanism for him to cope with the overwhelming feeling of being abandoned and unworthy of love. His refusal to install prosthetic eyes is thought to be a way of preserving his memories of the past without interference from the new. His entire creative block centers on his musical piece, which contains all but the final part—a folk song his mother used to sing—a section he cannot bring himself to complete because it forces him to confront the source of his pain.
Despite his initial resistance, a complex relationship develops between Duncan and North No. 2. Duncan is at first verbally abusive towards the robot, mocking its attempts to learn music. However, North No. 2 uncovers the truth about Duncan's past: his mother did not abandon him out of malice. She had strategically approached the wealthy man solely to secure funds for her sick child's medical treatment and stayed by his side throughout the process, only leaving after he was cured because his hatred for her had become unbearable. When North No. 2 reveals this truth, it begins to dismantle the hatred that has defined Duncan for so long. As a result, Duncan gradually begins to accept the robot not as a machine, but as a person. He starts composing again, working with North No. 2 to finish his long-stalled song, and even teaches the robot how to play the piano, forging a deep bond through their shared love of music.
Duncan's primary role in the story is to serve as a narrative vessel for exploring themes of hatred, trauma, and redemption. His arc parallels the central conflict of the series by demonstrating how holding onto hatred can be a survival mechanism, yet it is only through understanding and acceptance that one can find peace. His most notable ability is his musical genius, as he is a celebrated composer whose work is considered beautiful and profound despite his blindness and emotional scars. The pinnacle of his development occurs when he finally completes his song. Tragically, just as he is about to play it for North No. 2, the robot must leave to face a powerful threat. As North No. 2 is destroyed in a distant battle, Duncan hears the robot singing the very folk song from his childhood, the melody of his mother. In the story's most poignant moment, Duncan calls out to the falling robot, not in anger, but to tell him it is time to come back for his piano lesson, signifying his complete acceptance of North No. 2 as a cherished companion and his final release from the hatred that once consumed him.
Duncan's personality is largely shaped by a deep, unresolved trauma from his childhood involving his mother. He carries the belief that his mother abandoned him when he was sick to marry a wealthy man, a wound that has festered into a powerful hatred that both sustains and isolates him. This hatred, while painful, serves as a mechanism for him to cope with the overwhelming feeling of being abandoned and unworthy of love. His refusal to install prosthetic eyes is thought to be a way of preserving his memories of the past without interference from the new. His entire creative block centers on his musical piece, which contains all but the final part—a folk song his mother used to sing—a section he cannot bring himself to complete because it forces him to confront the source of his pain.
Despite his initial resistance, a complex relationship develops between Duncan and North No. 2. Duncan is at first verbally abusive towards the robot, mocking its attempts to learn music. However, North No. 2 uncovers the truth about Duncan's past: his mother did not abandon him out of malice. She had strategically approached the wealthy man solely to secure funds for her sick child's medical treatment and stayed by his side throughout the process, only leaving after he was cured because his hatred for her had become unbearable. When North No. 2 reveals this truth, it begins to dismantle the hatred that has defined Duncan for so long. As a result, Duncan gradually begins to accept the robot not as a machine, but as a person. He starts composing again, working with North No. 2 to finish his long-stalled song, and even teaches the robot how to play the piano, forging a deep bond through their shared love of music.
Duncan's primary role in the story is to serve as a narrative vessel for exploring themes of hatred, trauma, and redemption. His arc parallels the central conflict of the series by demonstrating how holding onto hatred can be a survival mechanism, yet it is only through understanding and acceptance that one can find peace. His most notable ability is his musical genius, as he is a celebrated composer whose work is considered beautiful and profound despite his blindness and emotional scars. The pinnacle of his development occurs when he finally completes his song. Tragically, just as he is about to play it for North No. 2, the robot must leave to face a powerful threat. As North No. 2 is destroyed in a distant battle, Duncan hears the robot singing the very folk song from his childhood, the melody of his mother. In the story's most poignant moment, Duncan calls out to the falling robot, not in anger, but to tell him it is time to come back for his piano lesson, signifying his complete acceptance of North No. 2 as a cherished companion and his final release from the hatred that once consumed him.