The main and only fully developed character in The Shipping News is Quoyle. As the omniscient narrator tells the story, Quoyle was born into a family that seemed to care nothing for him. His older brother abusively belittled him and his father thought of him as nothing but a failure. If that were not enough to make him insecure, his hideous appearance — "head shaped like a crenshaw, no neck, reddish hair ruched back" — further diminished his sense of self worth. What is surprising is that Quoyle did not turn mean himself. Instead, he suffered in silence, lacked ambition as a result of his family's attitude toward him, and did not bother to set goals for himself other than to try to make a living. Alone as he was, despite the presence of family, Quoyle.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 663 words. This
Short Guide contains 3,955 words (approx. 13 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Short Guide with our The Shipping News Access Pass.
