Character Relationship Map: Duck

Characters

• Arthur Pratt (played by Philip Baker Hall) — protagonist

  A widower who is close to suicide after his wife's death, Arthur finds a lone duckling and takes it in after its nest-mate is killed. He names the duckling Joe and devotes himself to caring for it. Ev...

• Leopold (played by Bill Brochtrup) — supporting

  A homeless man Arthur encounters while wandering with Joe. Arthur gives Leopold a pair of socks, and Leopold reveals that he is contemplating suicide because he knows his girlfriend is having an affai...

• Pedicurist (played by Amy Hill) — supporting

  A pedicurist Arthur and Joe meet during their travels. Her husband was killed in Vietnam, and she moved to the United States seeking a better life for herself and her daughter. Her story is one of the...

• Norman (played by Bill Cobbs) — supporting

  A blind man Arthur and Joe encounter while he is on his way to the beach. Norman travels with his guide dog, Trisha, and later reunites with Arthur and Joe at the shore. The three walk companionably a...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Arthur Pratt → Norman (Social Acquaintance) — Norman becomes a recurring acquaintance who is encountered during the journey and at its destination.

  Arthur and the duck meet Norman, a blind man traveling toward the beach, and later reunite with him there.

• Arthur Pratt → Leopold (Social Acquaintance) — Arthur offers practical help to Leopold during their journey.

  During their wandering, Arthur and the duck cross paths with Leopold, a homeless man. Arthur gives Leopold a pair of socks.

• Arthur Pratt → Pedicurist (Social Acquaintance) — Their meeting briefly connects Arthur's journey with the pedicurist's difficult life.

  Arthur and the duck encounter a pedicurist who has moved to the United States after her husband was killed in Vietnam.

Story Analysis

A grieving man regains purpose by caring for a vulnerable duckling and choosing companionship over isolation.

Plot Progression

1. Ashes And A Stray — Arthur buries his wife's ashes while nearing suicide. Finding an abandoned duckling and its dead mate gives him a reason to act.
2. A Fragile New Purpose — Arthur takes the duckling into his apartment, bathes it, and feeds it. Caring for it moves him away from his suicidal despair.
3. The Park Turns Hostile — After eviction, Arthur returns to the park and undergoes a strange transformation. Development plans and workers threatening the pond force him into repeated conflict.
4. Companions On The Road — Arthur and the duck leave the park and encounter Norman, Leopold, and a pedicurist. These meetings reveal other lives shaped by loneliness and hardship.
5. The Bridge And The Shore — Arthur tries to separate from the duck at a bridge, but rescues it from a toxic creek after the fall. They reach the beach and reunite with Norman.