Family and Friends
Dilton's parents appear from time to time, but almost never play a significant role. Both are typically depicted as dark haired and bespectacled like their son. His mother who is both proud of and perplexed at her son's inventiveness, appears more often than his father. Like the teenaged characters, many of Dilton's relatives were simply created for one particular story and were never seen again.
In one story in the 1970s, it was revealed that Mr. Doiley is actually Dilton's stepfather. None of Dilton's friends know this except for Chuck Clayton. Dilton, not feeling that he could deal with the shock after it being kept a secret all this time, almost ran away from home. However, after confiding in Chuck about his problem, Chuck made Dilton realize that Mr. Doiley cares about Dilton like a real father and that he would be heartbroken if Dilton ran away from home.
Moose Mason is Dilton's closest friend. Despite their completely different personalities, their closeness stems from a mutual understanding and how well they complement each other. Moose considers Dilton his "little buddy" and will do anything to protect him—anyone bullying Dilton would face Moose's wrath. In current stories, this relationship is increasingly being portrayed as symbiotic, with Dilton standing up in favour of Moose—in one story, he even pounces on Reggie Mantle in defense of Moose, when the latter was insulting Moose.
Dilton's other close friends include Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones. He has helped the gang many times with his various inventions or with his vast knowledge when they are faced with a problem. He is also willing to help his friends if they have difficulty in school. These are just some of the ways that Dilton manages to fit in with the gang.
Read more about this topic: Dilton Doiley
Famous quotes containing the words family and, family and/or friends:
“In former times and in less complex societies, children could find their way into the adult world by watching workers and perhaps giving them a hand; by lingering at the general store long enough to chat with, and overhear conversations of, adults...; by sharing and participating in the tasks of family and community that were necessary to survival. They were in, and of, the adult world while yet sensing themselves apart as children.”
—Dorothy H. Cohen (20th century)
“The family environment in which your children are growing up is different from that in which you grew up. The decisions our parents made and the strategies they used were developed in a different context from what we face today, even if the “content” of the problem is the same. It is a mistake to think that our own experience as children and adolescents will give us all we need to help our children. The rules of the game have changed.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,
Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)