| “ | Real friends should have everything in common. | „ |
| ~ Hugh's most famous quote. |
Hugh the Miller is the main antagonist of the darkly short story The Devoted Friend that written by Oscar Wilde in 1888.
Biography[]
Hugh is a rich miller who owns a mill, several cows and sheeps and lives in a village. He is the best "friend" of the little Hans. When Hugh visits Hans, he always take a basket of flowers, fruits and vegetables from him. However, Hugh never visits Hans in the winter season. Because, he claims it is not appropriate to visit Hans in difficult time of the year.
When the spring starts, Hugh visited Hans' house. He find out that, Hans sold his everything because of poorness and starvation, including his silver jacket buttons, silver chains, pipe and wheelbarrow. Later, Hugh tells Hans that he will give him his broken old wheelbarrow. Later, Hans tells Hugh that he can repair the wheelbarrow with his a plank of wood. Later, Hugh tells Hans his mill have a hole and a plank of wood can fix the hole. Later, Hugh gives his basket to Hans and tells that fill the basket with flowers and says it would be unfriendly if you refuse the plank or flowers since he promised him his wheelbarrow.
The following days, Hugh tells Hans to take a sack of flour to market for him, drive his sheep to the mountain. Each day he orders little Hans another task and tells that it would be unfriendly if Hans refuses the task.
Later, on a stormy night, Hugh cames Hans' house and says his son is injured and needs a doctor and orders him to fetch the doctor. Hans says he needs a lantern and asks Hugh if he can give the lantern to Hans. However, Hugh refuses that because the lantern is a new one. Hans does not worry and goes to fetch the doctor. Later, Hans fetches the doctor and follows him back, however Hans gets lost, later wanders onto a moor and drowns in a pool, dies.
After Hans' funeral, Hugh says "I will certainly take care not to give anything away again. One always suffers for being generous".
It is unknown what happened to Hugh after the story.
Personality[]
As the story suggests, Hugh is a rich man. He has a family, with a wife and a son. He is a selfish, stingy and stacker man. He does not even give his lantern and flours to Hans. But, he takes flowers, fruits and vegetables from him and uses Hans as a slave.
Abilities[]
Hugh has no superhuman powers and abilities:
- Vast wealth: His most prominent "power". He has a mill, a nice house, several cows and sheeps.
- Trickery: Hans is a trickster man, he tricks Hans and abuses their friendship.
- Manipulation: Hugh manipulates Hans easily.
Gallery[]
