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William Ankle was Billy Pretty’s father. The son of a London printmaker, his parents placed him in a children’s home (like an orphanage) when he was a boy because they couldn’t afford to support all of their numerous children. From this home, William and other children were sent to Canada to work on farms. Their ship wrecked and William found a home for himself with the Pretty family of Gaze Island, spending the rest of his life there. He became a capable fisherman and—because his own parents had taught him to read and write when he was young—the island’s unofficial schoolteacher.
William Ankle Quotes in The Shipping News
The The Shipping News quotes below are all either spoken by William Ankle or refer to William Ankle. 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:
).
Chapter 39: Shining Hubcaps
Quotes
Well, said Quoyle, they were children. Children should be protected from knowledge of death. And what about Bunny’s nightmares? Might get worse.
“But, m’dear, if they don’t know what death is how can they understand the deep part of life? The seasons and nature and creation—”
He didn’t want her to get going toward God and religion. As she sometimes did.
“Maybe,” said Wavey, “she has those nightmares because she’s afraid if she sleeps she won’t wake up—like Petal and Warren and her grandparents. Besides, if you look at the departed, you’ll never be troubled by the memory. It’s well-known.”
And so Quoyle agreed. And promised not to say that Jack was sleeping. And he would come along and get them all in the station wagon. In about fifteen minutes.
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William Ankle Quotes in The Shipping News
The The Shipping News quotes below are all either spoken by William Ankle or refer to William Ankle. 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:
).
Chapter 39: Shining Hubcaps
Quotes
Well, said Quoyle, they were children. Children should be protected from knowledge of death. And what about Bunny’s nightmares? Might get worse.
“But, m’dear, if they don’t know what death is how can they understand the deep part of life? The seasons and nature and creation—”
He didn’t want her to get going toward God and religion. As she sometimes did.
“Maybe,” said Wavey, “she has those nightmares because she’s afraid if she sleeps she won’t wake up—like Petal and Warren and her grandparents. Besides, if you look at the departed, you’ll never be troubled by the memory. It’s well-known.”
And so Quoyle agreed. And promised not to say that Jack was sleeping. And he would come along and get them all in the station wagon. In about fifteen minutes.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
