In Annie Proulx's novel, The Shipping News, the narrator introduces the character Quoyle. Quoyle is a troubled child who faces many problems as a child. His unusual childhood leads him to act differently and be seen differently by others. Quoyle is depicted with vivid imagery and this helps to signify the impact those events had on his life. Proulx characterizes Quoyle as a character whose failures in life are marked by his inability to adapt to the norms of society and those around him. Quoyle's descriptions give us a character who has so many flaws and struggles that he is unable to do so. live a normal life like those around him. Quoyle's problems began in childhood, and the narrator provides us with vivid images of his childhood. “Growing up in a mix of sad upstate towns” and “surviving childhood” show us that it wasn't easy for young Quoyle. With these descriptions we get a picture of how his childhood was tough as Quoyle moved through different towns in rough areas. The narrator continues with Quoyle's later life and shows through repetition the amou...