Quoyle's Character In The Shipping News By Annie Proulx

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Recommended: Character analysis of 'The Shipping News'' protagonist Quoyle

Of all of the characters in “The Shipping News” by Annie Proulx, it is Quoyle, the story’s protagonist, who undergoes the most change. Quoyle is an extremely uncoordinated, overweight man, with a large protruding chin. Even as a child he grew up with cruel verbal abuse from his classmates, and was constantly told he was a failure by a father. As a result, Quoyle is weak, lonely, vulnerable, submissive, and truly believes that he will always be a failure. The pain from his family history and personal past continually haunts Quoyle. By separating himself from his family line of murderous and cruel abusers, Quoyle develops into a strong character, and is finally able to look at himself without feelings of self-detestation. The Quoyle family name is associated with murderers, piracy, and incest. Negativity and isolation has followed the family for generation after generation. This is evident in the physical location of Quoyle’s point, isolated far away from the rest of the town, and also in the family’s local reputation in Newfoundland. It is also demonstrated in the poor treatment Quo...

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