Dunstan Thorn is a supporting character in the Stardust lore. He is the father of Tristran Thorn and lived in the village of wall. The young Dunstan is portrayed by Ben Barnes and the adult version by Nathaniel Parker.
In the book, Dunstan is the father of Tristran and Louisa and husband to Daisy Thorn. As a young man, he is shy and soft-spoken. When he is an adult, he showed wisdom and cared for his son, Tristran. In the movie counterpart, Dunstan is the same way, but his love is only for Una.
Biological Description[]
Physical Description[]
According to Neil Gailman description of Dunstan, "He had nut-brown hair, and nut-brown eyes, and nut-brown freckles. He was middleing tall, and slow of speech. He had an easy smile, which illuminated his face from within,".
Early life[]
In the book, prior to the event at Market, Dustan lived at his father's farm for most of his life. When visitors came to Wall for Market, he resented them, as they take up space in the small village. He never really respected anyway, and the only girl that catches his eyes is Daisy Hempstock.
History[]
Book[]
Many years before, there is a young man who wished for his Heart's Desire. Dunstan never quite fit in with anyone and had been working at his father's farm for most of his life. He also have a crush for Daisy Hempstock, a local girl that lived in Wall. One afternoon, Dunstan lent his cottage for the day to a wealthy man for the event of Market. While he was sleeping at his barn, he was awoken by a strange hairy man, who is asking for his consent to sleep in the barn also. The next day, Dunstan went through the gap of the wall, and found himself in the middle of Market, looking through exotic items for Daisy. Then he found a floral stall, with a young fairy woman behind it. Dunstan was suddenly attracted to her by scent, as he look into her red eyes. Una told him he can have anything in his Heart's Desire, provided that he give her a kiss. He did so, and in return was given a snowdrop flower. Una told him that he must meet with her later that night in the village nearby. When he left, Dunstan was left wondering, his mind on the fairy girl, until he saw Daisy at a table with her family. Dunstan gave her the snowdrop flower and, without thinking, gave her a kiss on the cheek, much to the surprised of Daisy.
Later that night, Dunstan went to the village, where he found Una. They went to a nearby field in the woods and Dunstan, captivated by Una, gave her a kiss and they made love under the night sky. Dunstan left early the next morning and went back to Wall. For the next few months, Dunstan ignored Daisy as his mind is full on the fairy girl. Both Dunstan and Daisy's parents were concerned about Dunstan's behaviors and made him marry to Daisy on June. Soon, the faraway look on Dunstan eyes finally disappeared, until he received a basket of a baby from the guards at the wall. The note on the baby reads "Tristran".
Seventeen years later, Dunstan lived happily with his family, despite the stale relationship between Daisy and Tristran. He continued to care of his family, working at the farm until the day when Tristran made a promise to Victoria Forester to bring her the fallen star. Dunstan never asked Tristran of what is going to go, but he agreed to take him to the gap of the wall. Dunstan took him there and explained to the guards of what his son is going to do, reminding them of where he came from in the first place. The guards silently agreed, and let Tristran through the gap.
Dunstan never appeared again until Tristran came back from his adventures and met him at the Seventh Magpie. At first, Dunstan was worried about his son, then he was enlightened of what his son had become. They left the Seventh Magpie to Dunstan's farm, where Tristran had apparently had told him that he want to spend his life with Yvaine, which Dunstan understood his son desire.
Movie[]
Dunstan Thorn is first seen as a young man tricking the guard at the wall and slipped through and wandered through the Market, where his eyes was caught by Una, the slave girl. he approached her shyly as Una offered him the snowdrop flower in exchange for a kiss. Dunstan proceeded to kiss her in the cheek, but kissed her on the lips instead. Una led Dunstan to her master cavana, where they made love. It was only months later when Dunstan received a knock at his door when the guard at the wall gave him a basket that have the baby in it. On the note attached the baby reads "Tristan".
When Tristan returned to the house after the failed attempt to court Victoria, Dunstan asked him how it goes, only for Tristan to lie and said that it went well. Dunstan later wasn't disappointed when Tristan lost his job. Later he learned that Tristan tried to go through the gap of the wall and assumed that he want to find his mother, so he give Tristan the basket for which he came and the babylon candle. And he watched his son disappeared through the binding light.
Dunstan does not appear again; until the ending of the movie, with Una during the coronation of Tristan and Yvaine. During this time, he is proud of his son for everything that he had done.
Relationships[]
Tristran Thorn[]
Dunstan and Tristran shared a father and son relationship and they lived at the same father together. Dunstan done everything he can for his son, even though he withheld the facts that Tristran was born in Faerie for years and who his mother was for years. Dunstan also wondered if his son succeeded on courting Victoria as shown in the movie. Then he will give his son a speech on how to be a better man, even though Tristran would avoid such a lecture.
Una[]
In the book, Dunstan met Una at a stall where Dunstan suddenly became attracted to her. Dunstan kissed Una on the cheek in exchanged for the snowdrop flower. Una then told Dunstan to meet her at a woods where they made love. Una basically trapped Dunstan to get pregnant, so she could be freed from the grasp of Memede Seleme. Dunstan was captivated by her, then suddenly lost his love for her over the months after he married to Daisy. In the movie, Dunstan and Una fell in love and they made love in Ditchwater Sal cavana. Dunstan will tell Tristran about his mother and how she capture his heart. They then appeared together again during the coronation of Tristan and Yvaine.
Trivia[]
- Dunstan's wife, is Daisy Hempstock in the book instead of Una as shown in the movie. The sudden change to the movie is most likely to drive the plot forward.
- In the book, Dunstan and Una never got back together again.