Little Plastic Shipwreck

by

Cate Kennedy

Declan Character Analysis

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 behaves in an authoritarian way, and it is suggested that he has a tendency cut corners in terms of his responsibilities. He speaks to his employees without respect and harshly punishes any challenge to his authority: Roley recounts almost losing his job when he (deliberately) failed to reach for the fish on time in the dolphin show. Declan acts as the lead trainer and MC of the dolphin show, and puts on a completely different demeanour for this role. The story has excerpts from his script, full of rhetorical questions and recited in a “golly-gee” voice, which contrasts with the cold and callous man Roley knows him to be offstage. When Roley finally refuses to cut up Samson’s body, Declan fires him unceremoniously.

Declan Quotes in Little Plastic Shipwreck

The Little Plastic Shipwreck quotes below are all either spoken by Declan or refer to Declan. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Humans, Animals, and Consciousness Theme Icon
).
Little Plastic Shipwreck Quotes

Declan swore long and low when he came over and looked into the pool.

“Use the chains,” he said dismissively. “I reckon that thing weighs one hundred and fifty kilos. Haul it out and then drain the pool.”

“What will I do with him?” Roley couldn't help the personal pronoun, wasn't going to call Samson an “it.”

Related Characters: Roley (speaker), Declan (speaker), Samson
Page Number: 186-187
Explanation and Analysis:

Roley would crouch at the edge of the platform, following Declan's repertoire of gestures and punchlines, the rhetorical questions (“And do you know WHY they breathe that way, kids? I'll tell you why!”) until he reached the point in the script where he'd say, “Well, now, a dolphin can stay underwater for up to FIFTEEN MINUTES, but luckily for us here today Samson can't wait to meet you!” and Roley would reach casually into the bucket and Samson would arc up like clockwork and break the surface, his calm, loving eye on Roley alone.

Related Characters: Roley (speaker), Samson, Declan
Page Number: 189
Explanation and Analysis:

Roley looked at Samson's grey flank, noticing the nicks and cuts on it, the marks and old scars. He thought, sick with grief, about the way his wife's fingers sought out the small secret place under her hair where there was a tiny dent, still. He laid his hand on that flank, feeling its muscle, and he heard the moment waiting, and said into it, “You fucking do it.”

Related Characters: Roley (speaker), Samson, Liz, Declan
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis:
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Little Plastic Shipwreck PDF

Declan Quotes in Little Plastic Shipwreck

The Little Plastic Shipwreck quotes below are all either spoken by Declan or refer to Declan. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Humans, Animals, and Consciousness Theme Icon
).
Little Plastic Shipwreck Quotes

Declan swore long and low when he came over and looked into the pool.

“Use the chains,” he said dismissively. “I reckon that thing weighs one hundred and fifty kilos. Haul it out and then drain the pool.”

“What will I do with him?” Roley couldn't help the personal pronoun, wasn't going to call Samson an “it.”

Related Characters: Roley (speaker), Declan (speaker), Samson
Page Number: 186-187
Explanation and Analysis:

Roley would crouch at the edge of the platform, following Declan's repertoire of gestures and punchlines, the rhetorical questions (“And do you know WHY they breathe that way, kids? I'll tell you why!”) until he reached the point in the script where he'd say, “Well, now, a dolphin can stay underwater for up to FIFTEEN MINUTES, but luckily for us here today Samson can't wait to meet you!” and Roley would reach casually into the bucket and Samson would arc up like clockwork and break the surface, his calm, loving eye on Roley alone.

Related Characters: Roley (speaker), Samson, Declan
Page Number: 189
Explanation and Analysis:

Roley looked at Samson's grey flank, noticing the nicks and cuts on it, the marks and old scars. He thought, sick with grief, about the way his wife's fingers sought out the small secret place under her hair where there was a tiny dent, still. He laid his hand on that flank, feeling its muscle, and he heard the moment waiting, and said into it, “You fucking do it.”

Related Characters: Roley (speaker), Samson, Liz, Declan
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis: