*Themes from American Literature*

It is important to be accepted by society:
This theme from American Literature is shown throughout "The Shipping News" as the characters are all trying to fit in. Quoyle is the one who finds the hardest time with this, though. As explained at the beginning of the book, Quoyle has gone through life with a very sad and pessimistic attitude. He has been living a terrible life, as "he survived childhood; at the state university, hand clapped over his chin, he camouflaged torment with smiles and silence. Stumbled through his twenties and into his thirties learning to seperate his feelings from his life, counting on nothing" (1). As shown through this description, it seems Quoyle really hasn't "been living his life" at all; just passing through life without enjoying it. When he was younger, he was tortured and made fun of by his peers for being a tall, fat, guy with a big chin. This obviously had a great affect on his character and confidence because he doesn't really have a close relationship with anybody. Proulx states that he "was learning to seperate his feeling from his life", which shows that he doesn't really know how to live. By not being accepted by society, he turned into a very lonely person who has never had the comfort of being part of something.

Another example that shows this theme in "The Shipping News" is Quoyle's father's attitude towards him. Throughout his life, Quoyle has never done anything that was "right" in his father's eyes. His father considered him a failure: "From this youngest son's failure to dog-paddle the father saw other failures multiply like an explosion of virulent cells-failure to speak clearly; failure to sit up straight; failure to get up in the morning; failure in attitude; failure in ambition and ability; indeed, in everything. His own failure" (2). Since he wasn't even accepted by his own father, his emotions were definately hurt, which showed in all of his actions. Quoyle didn't know how to be loved, which is probably why he ended up with Pearl and was taken advantage of. I feel that if he had been accepted by the people in his life when he was younger, he would have grown to be a more stable person, and his life would have turned out a lot differently.

In society, everyone wants to be accepted, and when they're not, they are greatly impacted. Quoyle has tried his whole life to be accepted, but there was always someone there to put him down: his father, his peers, and even his wife Petal. The only people that he had in his life before moving to Newfoundland was his wife, Bunny, Sunshine, and his only friend, Partridge. But once he moved to Newfoundland, many new people entered his life, and they accepted him for who he was. He begins to become a better person who now actually enjoys life, which shows how important it is for people to be accepted into society.

Knots

Knots seem to be a very predominate symbol throughout The Shipping News. Even though there was not any mention of knots in the beginning of the story, I knew that they were going to be important because many chapters are named after different types of knots. At the beginning of the chapters, Proulx puts a definition of the type of knot that come from “The Ashley Book of Knots”, and the definitions relate to what happens in each particular chapter.

One example is the chapter named “Strangle Knot” and its definition is: “The strangle knot will hold a coil well…It is first tied loosely and then worked snug” -The Ashley Book of Knots. In this chapter, Quoyle's parents decide to kill themselves because they feel that it is their time to go. It seems ironic that Proulx named the chapter "Strangle Knot" since they committed suicide, but she does it for a reason. All of the different types of knots that she mentions intertwine with Quoyle's life in some way, and they also teach lessons. The different knots, whether it be The Dutch Cringle, The Mooring Hitch, A Slippery Hitch, or a Love Knot, they all serve as being a symbol for something in Quoyle's life.

Quoyle's life is like a rope: it can be altered and tied into knots to adjust to different situations. His "rope" has been affected by many things through his life, causing it to be tied in different ways in order to accomodate himself. The knots help him to grasp and hold onto what is going on, in effect making him more secure. Since he has lived in Newfoundland, it seems his "knots" have become more effective and have helped him to change his view on life.

*Image Study #2*

Nutbeem's Boat

In Chapter 32, The Hairy Devil, Nutbeem has a going away party at his house to celebrate his upcoming trip to the Caribbean. But, during the party, many people got drunk and got the idea to sink Nutbeem's boat. "In ten minutes Nutbeem's boat was underwater, nothing showing but the roof of the cabin, like a waterlogged raft" (257). Since he was planning on traveling on his boat, he was now stuck in Newfoundland with no way to get to the Caribbean. This is significant because Newfoundland seems like a trap; many people want to leave, but they usually aren't able to. Nutbeem is stuck in this situation, as now he can't travel to the warm and sunny Caribbean, and he can't escape his life in the cold and miserable Newfoundland.

White Dog with Red Eyes

At many different times in the book, Bunny describes seeing a white dog with red eyes. Quoyle and Aunt Agnis don't believe her, though, because they have never seen it or any tracks, so they assume she is just imagining things. Her sightings began once they arrived at the old Quoyle house, and the dog always made her really scared. As Bunny keeps seeing the dog, Quoyle begins to wonder whether there is something wrong with her, and he contemplates having her see a psychologist. The dog is significant because if it isn't real, it shows that Bunny has issues, which probably have something to do with the loss of her mother, or that she is having a difficult time adjusting to her new environment.

Quoyle Cemetery

On a trip with Billy Pretty to Gaze Island, Quoyle discovers a remote cemetery where many other Quoyles are buried. Billy informs him that it is the cemetery of the Quoyles and he tells him some information about the history of his relatives. He says, "They were wrackers they say, come to Gaze Island centuries ago and made it their evil lair. Pirate men and women that lured ships onto the rocks" (171). Quoyle is surprised to learn this, as he doesn't really have any knowledge of any of his family's past. What makes the Quoyle cemetery significant is that it shows us how his family was viewed in society because they were very isolated. The cemetery and the information that Quoyle helps him to understand where he comes from and how his life is so different from theirs.


Quoyle's New Boat

When Quoyle first arrived in Newfoundland, everyone told him that he needed a boat to get from place to place. But, when he finally gave in and got one, it ended up being a bad choice. He bought an old boat from a man for a very cheap price, thinking it was a good idea, but he was proved wrong. While sailing in the ocean during a storm, the boat sinks, and Quoyle almost drowns. With the advice from Billy, Quoyle asks Alvin Yark, the best boatmaker in town, to build him a new boat. Yark explains to Quoyle what goes into making a good, strong boat, which includes using the right kind of wood. This image of the boat is important because it symbolizes Quoyle's life in a way: He started off with an old, weak boat, and he is getting a newer, stronger boat. When he first moved to Newfoundland, he was a very weak person, but while he has been there, he has started a new life, and is trying to erase his past, so that he will be a better and stronger person.

Can't Let Go

It's been a while since Pearl died and Quoyle still can't seem to get over it. There always seems to be something that reminds him of Pearl, whether it be one of his daughters, Wavey, or a random person on the street. I understand that it is probably hard for him to forget about her since she was his first love and the mother of his children, but I feel like he needs to forget about her so that he can move on with his life. She caused him so much pain and hurt during their years together, which is why it seems ironic that he is affected so much by her death.
He is constantly comparing people to Pearl, especially Wavey, which makes me think that he is trying to hold on to her. His comparisons show that he really loved her and still does even after all of the heartache and trouble she put him through.

"He thought of Petal in her dress with fringe, the long legs diving down to slippers embroidered with silver bugles, Petal, darting around in a cloud of Trésor, shooting glances at her reflection in mirror, toaster, glass, flicking her fingers at Quoyle's openmouth desire. He felt a pang for this poor moth." (151)
A woman named Dawn came over to his house for dinner, and once he sees her he instantly thinks about Petal.

"Quoyle chopped at his secret path to the shore. Read his books. Played with his daughters. Saw briefly, once, Petal's vanished face in Sunshine's look. Pain he thought erupted hot. As though the woman herself had suddenly appeared and disappeared. Of course she had, in a genetic way. He called Sunshine to him, wanted to take her up and press his face against her neck to prolong the illusion, but did not." (148)
This passage shows that he really does miss her because he sees Petal in Sunshine's face and he wishes it were really her. I thought it was surprising that he wanted to "prolong the illusion" considering all of the things she did to him.

"Just to see the way she walked, a tall woman who walked miles. And Petal had never walked if she could ride. Or lie down." (129)
This quote shows Quoyle's bitter feelings towards Petal, and how much he envies a woman that is so different from her, Wavey.

*Rhetoric Study*

Throughout The Shipping News, Proulx does a very good job providing the reader with a mental picture of what is going on. As I read it, it is very easy for me to imagine what is going on, like watching it as a movie playing in my mind. Proulx's use of vivid imagery and details add a lot of life to the seemingly gloomy town in the story, Newfoundland. During some chapters, she will go on for pages just describing the scene, while in the meantime using many different rhetorical devices to provide even more description.

"Blunt fogbows in the morning trip around the bay. Humps of color followed squalls, Billy Pretty babbled of lunar halos. Storms blew in and out. Sudden sleet changed to glowing violent rods, collapsed in rain. Two, three days of heat as though blown from a desert. Fibres of light crawling down the bay like luminous eels." (191)

During this excerpt, Proulx uses short, choppy descriptions of the bay, which seems to be her style. Although she uses many short sentences, she makes them work together well, and makes them flow together. She uses strong verbs and adjectives like "glowing violent rods" and "humps of color." She displays personification when stating "fibres of light crawling down the bay", making the light seem like it is some sort of creature. Also, she uses a metaphor when stating "two, three days of heat as though blown from a desert" and a simile when she compares the light to luminous eels.

"Wavey's little house was mint green on the ground floor, then a red sash. The boy's scarlet pajamas on the clothesline, bright as chile peppers. A pile of tapered logs, sawbuck in a litter of chips and bark, split junks of wood ready to be stacked.
Two fishermen beside the road, lean and hard as rifles, mending net in the rain, the wet beading their sweaters. Sharp, Irish noses, long Irish necks and hair crimped under billed caps. One looked up, his glance sprang from Wavey to Quoyle, searching his face, knowing him. Netting needle in hand." (183)

In this passage, Proulx again displays her love for vivid imagery as she describes Wavey's house. Everytime a new area is explored in the book, Proulx gives a description of it before going on about anything else. As she sets the scene, she uses similes such as "bright as chile peppers" and "lean and hard as rifles" to exemplify the description already provided. Then, in the last sentence, she uses an example of assonance, "netting needle in hand" which is such a simple statement, but by using assonance, makes it seem more complex.

Proulx uses many rhetorical devices, with her main ones being similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, and assonance. When she is not writing the dialogue of the characters, much of the time she is providing us with very detailed descriptions and her interesting diction helps to keep me wanting to read.

Image Study

As the different boats and areas of Newfoundland are described, I imagine that it would look something like this. Newfoundland is surrounded by water, so boats are the main mode of transportation, and I picture there being boats in sight for as far as the eye can see. Also, this picture brings out the description of the smell that Aunt Agnis mentions when they first arrive.

"The sea's hypnotic boil, the smell of blood, weather and salt, fish heads, spruce smoke and reeking armpits, the rattle wash-ball rocks in hissing wave, turrs, the crackery taste of brewis, the bedroom under the eaves" (33). When looking at the picture, I am reminded of the beach, which brings along some of the smells that Agnis recalls.

The old house on Quoyle's Point is falling apart, as it is very old and nobody has lived in it for many years. The roof has holes in it and the boards on the sides are falling off. I think this picture accurately depicts what the house might look like because it is in really bad shape, and it looks like it has been abandoned for a long time.

When first arriving in Newfoundland, the town is described as being very enclosed and surrounded by "icebergs that resemble a prison." I can imagine them looking out into the distance, with the only thing in sight being ships and icebergs. The icebergs help to represent the isolation of the town and how Quoyle and his family are away from "society", which will help them to begin their new lives.

Personal Response

I have continued reading The Shipping News and I am almost to the half-way mark. So far in the story, nothing too exciting has really happened. I am really surprised because when reading about it, I envisioned there to be a lot more emphasis on the "kidnapping" that took place and the selling of the kids. But, the whole event was covered in about two pages.
I wouldn't say I'm disappointed with the story, but it's not at all what I expected. Proulx's diction is very detailed and it is easy to imagine what is going on. But sometimes, for me, it becomes a little too much detail and I feel like it is a never-ending description. Towards the beginning of the book, Proulx used the most imagery and details, I think mostly so that the readers can picture the story develop in their heads. After a chapter or two, a little more action begins to happen, and I was able to get an idea of where she is going with the story. Proulx's sentence structure is also different from books that I have read before. She uses many short, choppy sentences, which makes it a little harder to read than long sentences because they don't flow very well. One thing I do like, though, about her writing is that sometimes there are sentences that seem really random they create humor. She will say something that isn't expected at all which helps to break up the normal arrangement of the sentences.

Although my initial expectation of the book was that it was going to be very interesting and involve a fair amount of drama, I have realized that the story is about Quoyle's journey to becoming a different man and obtaining a better life for himself and his two girls. At the point in the story that I am at, some issues concerning Bunny have surfaced. She has claimed to see different things that have scared her, but Quoyle doubts that there was actually anything there. Does it have something to do with Petal's death or has something else happened to her that have prompted the visions? I am excited to see what is revealed in the next chapters because this was an unexpected twist in the plot.