Empire Falls Analysis

Miles Roby from Empire Falls, and Quoyle from The Shipping News both experience life altering difficulties -- short and long term -- as they attempt to search for a better future, in response to their hardships. Mockingburg and Empire Falls are seen by both characters as places of entrapment, but even in their escape destinations of Martha’s Vineyard and Newfoundland, the memories of their entrapments pursue them. Miles and Quoyle’s entrapments aren’t solely physical, they’re emotional too. Quoyle’s memories of Petal Bear and his parents, and Miles’ memories of Janine and his mother, Grace, linger with both characters -- destination to destination. By the end of the novels, both characters seem to find some form of closure. But, the memories of both their physical and emotional entrapments would seem to always be with them. Quoyle was astonished and saddened by the death of his wife, Petal Bear. Shortly
Both men are separated from their loved ones, which they both respond to differently. While Quoyle was upset and shocked of Petal’s passing, Miles was glad that he and Janine had divorced. Miles explains numerous times regarding Janine’s attitude; a reason for their divorce: She knew Walt pretty well, certainly better than she’d known Miles. Back when they got married, she hadn’t even known who she was, her own self, never mind her intended. At least now Janine knew who Janine was, what Janine wanted, and, just as important, what Janine didn’t want (Russo 64).
Miles Roby and Janine have a daughter named Tick. Miles relies on Tick for support, but she is also an independent person; different from many other students in her grade: “When Mr. Meyer asked Tick if she could live with these provisos, she wondered, as she so often did, at the strange world adults seemed to inhabit” (Russo 74). Janine is consistently envious over her ex-husband's and daughter’s close