Classes are objects with atributesattributes (state, characteristic) and methods (functions, capacities) that are specific for that object (like the white color and fly powers,respectively respectively, for a duck).
When you create an instance of a class, you can give it some initial personality (state or character like the name and the color of her dress for a newborn). You do this with __init__.
Basically __init__ sets the instance characteristics automatically when you call
instance = MyClass(some_individual_traits).