Little Plastic Shipwreck Character Analysis

Roley

The protagonist and narrator of the story, Roley works at Oceanworld where he cleans and cares for the animals. He is grieving on two accounts: first for his wife, Liz, whose recent brain injury… read analysis of Roley

Samson

The only dolphin at Oceanworld, Samson is the star attraction of a marine park that is clearly past its prime. At twenty-five years old, he dies at the beginning of the story. Readers learn about… read analysis of Samson

Liz

Liz is Roley’s wife. Sometime before the timeframe of the story, she was handing around a tray of food at a friend’s party, fell off the unfinished deck, and hit her head on a… read analysis of Liz

Declan

Declan is Roley’s boss who runs the dolphin show at Oceanworld. Unlike Roley, he expresses no sadness at Samson’s death, instead looking at the body and ordering Roley to “cut it up.” Declan… read analysis of Declan

Kaz

Kaz is Roley’s colleague. Like Roley, she is affected by Samson’s death. He reminisces with her about the time that he defied Declan in the dolphin show, suggesting that they are allies in… read analysis of Kaz