Self-image is very important when judging one's character. A high self-image usually means a person thinks highly of themselves, is very sociable and somewhat exerts power and control over others. On the other hand, a low self-image can mean that a person is lonely , is to his or herself and will let others take advantage of them. Self-image can be affected by the experiences one goes through. This is the case with Quoyle, the main character in "The Shipping News", a novel written by E. Annie Proulx. Quoyle starts off as a weak character who then grows into a stronger one. Representative of his name, Quoyle - which means a coil of rope - can be stepped on if necessary, has strength and potential, and the possibility of using his capabilities to their fullest.

What plays a great part in Quoyle's, development is his relationship with others. One example of this is his relationship with his bosses. When hired as a news reporter, covering the municipal beat in Mockingburg , New York, Quoyle was pushed around by his boss. Ed Punch would fire and rehire Quoyle as he pleased. "Punch played reluctant. Made a show of taking Quoyle back as a special favor. Tempora

Some important symbols of Quoyle's growth deal with the houses in which he lived in chronologically. He lived in a trailer , a rented house, the green house and finally the Burks' house. Each represented a different aspect in Quoyle's development. When he lived in the trailer, he had nothing to be proud of. He lived alone, had no steady job and he did not keep the trailer clean and orderly. Then, once married to Petal Bear, they moved into a rented house. This house represents Quoyle's character at its weakest. Since the house was rented, if anything needed repair, it wasn't Quoyle's responsibility to fix it, but the landlord's. This symbolizes Quoyle's inability to do something productive with his life on his own. After Petal Bear's death he and his daughters moved in with his aunt in the green house. Once in this ancestral house, Quoyle finds out about his family's incestuous and terrible past. This inspires a change in Quoyle's character. The green house needed renovations and Quoyle ends up doing some of the work. Remarkably, he adapts quickly to this situation. When offered to buy Nutbeem's trailer, he refuses because it was trashed in Nutbeem's going away party. This refusal symbolizes that Quoyle will no longer accept trash nor will he go back to the way he used to live. He has now evolved into a stronger person, who deserves better than an old, beat up trailer. Finally, he finds the perfect house for him and his daughters: the Burks' house. An important reason for choosing this house was that he fit in the bathtub: something that never happened in the previous houses. This represents that his growth in self-image has been fulfilled. He chose the house, not only because of his family but for his needs also. He has matured a

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Approximate Word count = 1186
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)