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 seemed rudderless. As such, he drifted into his friendship with Partridge who...