The Shipping News by Annie Proulx-Navigating Essay Example

and failing banks. By refusing to accept these negative aspects of global culture, Proulx argues that he is contributing to his own failure.

Proulx uses the eventual death of a character to symbolize her belief that a certain way of navigating a complex world is ineffective, and that she disagrees with the values that the character represents. Agnis Hamm, Quoyle's aunt, manages to navigate the global world successfully by combining both global and local influences. Throughout the novel, fragments of Agnis' story reveal that she withdraws from her local community in Newfoundland due to various negative factors such as her father's rape when she was young and the depiction of Quoyle's ancestors as inbreds, pirates, and primitives. Proulx's portrayal of the local community presents a negative view of it.

She suggests that a lack of global values and influence in the local community is what makes it so defective. The move away from isolation, illiteracy, and other negative characteristics to attain autonomy and independence through global influence is demonstrated in this quote about Agnis' move: "…away from isolation, illiteracy, trousers made of worn upholstery fabric, no teeth, away from contorted thoughts and rough hands, from desperation".In her return to Newfoundland, Agnis expresses her longing to go back, recognizing the importance of local aspects like family and history. However, globalization has caused certain old values and ways of life to disappear. This has been a welcome change for Agnis, but it has not been favorable for many long-term residents of the area. Jack Buggit, owner of the Killickclaw paper, notes that there are now two ways of living: the old way involving family, fishing, and self-sufficiency, and the new way involving jobs, commuting, and consumerism. Although Buggit criticizes the new global-influenced lifestyle with vivid language, he acknowledges the need for both ways of life to coexist in order for individuals to thrive in Newfoundland.In another part of the novel, Jack acknowledges the positive impact of government and global forces on Killickclaw, including advancements in technology and education. Proulx intentionally uses the colloquial and grammatically incorrect word "me" to emphasize the positive outcomes for the community. Overall, Proulx presents a nuanced view of the relationships between local and global forces, acknowledging both the good and bad aspects of each. Through her characterization of individuals in Killickclaw, Proulx shows that there are different ways to navigate these forces. Quoyle, for example, retreats to Killickclaw with his family

after a series of traumatic events. This decision is seen as an escape from his circumstances, highlighted by the simile comparing his grief to sour gas.The phrase "Hoped for oxygen soon" implies that it is a desperate measure taken in an emergency situation. It could also be argued that this is a conscious effort to deal with the presented circumstance. Regardless, Proulx offers a pathway to navigate both worlds, and as it turns out, is successful. Quoyle finds healing and an opportunity to start over in Newfoundland, providing a chance to rebuild his past life. The local community sees beyond his outward appearance and allows him to establish a sense of self and identity, which was not possible in Mockinburg. The uniqueness of local communities is highlighted by Alvin Yark's metaphorical statement about boatmaking. Quoyle's distinctiveness is recognized in Proulx's use of symbolism, such as his promotion to managing editor and the addition of his full name. This demonstrates Quoyle's newfound individuality, belonging, and sense of self, which were nurtured by the local environment.The extract from the novel displays Mockingburg's homogeneity, which contrasts starkly with the positive individual development promoted by the local setting. The author effectively uses this aspect as a navigation tool for the protagonist, Quoyle, as he transitions between the two environments. The author, Proulx, would agree that both the global and local must coexist, and characters like Jack Buggit, Agnis Hamm, and Petal Bear show how individuals respond differently to global culture. The author presents both global and local settings for the characters to navigate, showing successful and unsuccessful methods. While the global is predominantly negative, there are some instances where

it is not, and the local is mostly depicted positively, except for certain cases where it is not true.