Seminar paper from the year 2000 in the subject Didactics - English - Literature, Works, grade: 2 (B), University of Flensburg (English), course: Temporary American Fiction: Novels and Stories by Annie Proulx, language: English, abstract: The novel The Shipping News by Annie Proulx tells about a man named Quoyle who works for a third-rate newspaper in the state of New York. Formed by his unhappy childhood he tries to find his place in a cruel world and marries a nymphomaniac who dies in a car accident. Quoyles aunt appears and persuades him to take his two daughters and leave for Newfoundland, the place his ancestors came from. There Quoyle starts to deal with his fears and takes charge of his life. Quoyle is a complex character with a couple of interesting peculiarities. He unites a lot of different fears inside of him. It is worth to take more than a quick look at those fears.