Donna's Change and Suspisions Good or Bad?

Watching Twin Peaks from beginning to end I noticed a colossal change in the characters. Donna Hayward’s attitude, actions, and just overall appearance is the one that I found transformed the most. I question whether Laura’s death had a part in Donnas change from the “good girl” to a mischievous shady woman. It seemed that Donna always followed in Laura’s footsteps so when Laura was murdered did Donna feel entitled to somewhat take her place? In the first episodes she told her mother the guilt she felt about falling in love with James, but after time it seemed that the guilt died. When she visited James in the jail cell even he questioned the person she was becoming. I also believe Harold’s death was partially Danna’s fault. She became interested in him only after she found out he was the keeper of Laura’s second diary. Donna was so focused on figuring out every detail of Laura’s death some of her actions became suspicious. Henry Jenkins’s Do You Enjoy making the Rest of us Feel Stupid?: alt.tv.twinpeaks, the Trickster Author, and Viewer Mastery supports this idea as well.

Lying and manipulating people became her way of life. Donna got what she wanted in the end just the way Laura always did. I see this behavior as good and bad. The good being Donna wanting to find the mystery of her best friend’s death and the bad as a twisted way of payback and jealousy Donna felt towards Laura.

Shannon C.