Entrapment and Escape in Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News and Richard Russo’s Empire Falls Anonymous 11th Grade

At first glance, the settings of Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News and Richard Russo’s Empire Falls are wildly different. What could Proulx’s bleak Mockingburg and remote Newfoundland possibly have in common with Russo’s decaying Empire Falls and picturesque Martha’s Vineyard? Upon deeper inspection, however, the locations in the novels parallel each other. Portrayed vividly and populated with casts of unforgettable characters, they serve as much more than backdrops for their respective plots. Because the places that flawed protagonists Quoyle and Miles live in are either of entrapment or escape, they are instrumental in shaping the development of these characters. This progression occurs in three stages, beginning with the men trapped within their lives, transitioning to a period of temporary escape on islands, and culminating in more permanent escape and personal fulfillment where they now call home.

The novels begin with a palpable sense of confinement. Both men are stuck in ruts in their small towns, feeling as if they are waiting for something but unsure if it will ever appear. In Mockingburg, New York, Quoyle of The Shipping News watches television in his rented trailer and works as a cheap reporter for the local...