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Illustrated portrait of Socks Donald

A character in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

Socks Donald

A sailor and aspiring actor who becomes Robert's friend.

What they want

To stay long enough to earn money or be noticed.

The book

Cover of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? by Horace McCoy
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?Horace McCoy, 1935

A Depression-era dance marathon turns hunger and exhaustion into paid entertainment.

View the book

At a glance

Role
a contestant and loyal friend
Pressure
A sailor and aspiring actor who becomes Robert's friend.
Goal
To stay long enough to earn money or be noticed.
Story turn
He is disqualified after intervening in a conflict.

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Socks Donald is a contestant and loyal friend. A sailor and aspiring actor who becomes Robert's friend.

The character wants to stay long enough to earn money or be noticed.. That desire is tested by a contest whose rules reward spectacle rather than care.

He is disqualified after intervening in a conflict. The outcome clarifies what the marathon takes from people and what its organizers can turn into entertainment.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • Rolea contestant and loyal friend
  • PressureA sailor and aspiring actor who becomes Robert's friend.
  • GoalTo stay long enough to earn money or be noticed.
  • Story turnHe is disqualified after intervening in a conflict.
What happens to Socks DonaldHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

He is disqualified after intervening in a conflict.

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