In the beginning of the novel Quoyle is described as a lonesome and confused man. He doesn’t know who he is. He’s in search of his identity. This fact is stated on p. 3 «Nothing was clear to lonesome Quoyle. His thoughts churned like the amorphous thing that ancient sailors, drifting into arctic half-light, called the Sea Lung; a heaving sludge of ice under fog where air blurred into water, where liquid was solid, where solids dissolved, where the sky froze and light and dark muddled». This description clearly shows Quoyle’s confusion and uncertainty. Quoyle knows already from his early years that he isn’t like everyone else. He feels that he’s somewhat different from other children «Quoyle shambled, a head taller than any child around him, was soft. … All stemmed from Quoyle’s chief failure, a failure of normal appearance» (p. 2).

In the beginning of the novel Quoyle lives in Mockingburg, New York. This is a big city and in big places you often find many people feeling lonely. Even though you live in a flat in a block you can live there for a year without getting in touch with other tenants. It’s easier to get to know people in small towns - like Killick-Claw, which is the place Quoyle eventually moves to. One of the few places you’re able to meet someone and where it’s actually normal nowadays to meet other people is at laundromats. Quoyle becomes acquainted with one of his most important friends in one of these places where one can wash one’s clothes  «Quoyle and Partridge met at a laundromat in Mockingburg, New York» (p. 4). Partridge becomes a friend for life. Quoyle no longer feels lonely. Partridge is a helping friend; among other things he gets Quoyle a couple of jobs in papers as a reporter, first in Mockingburg then in Killick-Claw. The two of them spend a lot of time together. Unfortunately, after some time Partridge moves to California with his girlfriend and the feeling of loneliness again returns to Quoyle. It’s hard for him having his best friend leaving. When they are saying goodbye this fact is being reflected in their parting «Quoyle tried to say congratulations, ended up shaking and shaking Partridge’s hand, couldn’t let go» (p. 10). However, Quoyle and Partridge manage to stay in touch throughout the novel.

 One day Quoyle meets Petal Bear. They seem to enjoy each others company and their relationship is laughter and joy. Later only sorrow comes out of this acquaintance because Petal changes completely after they get married «Petal Bear was crosshatched with longings, but not, after they were married, for Quoyle. … There was a month of fiery happiness. Then six kinked years of suffering» (p. 13). Regardless of these circumstances they have two children together, Bunny and Sunshine. Petal doesn’t really care much for them, but Quoyle loves them «But from the first moment that Petal raved she was pregnant, threw her purse on the floor like a dagger, kicked her shoes at Quoyle and said she’d get an abortion, Quoyle loved, first Bunny, then Sunshine, loved them with a kind of fear that if they made it into the world they were with him on borrowed time, would one day run a wire into his brain through terrible event» (p. 23).  Petal leaves Quoyle after some time. Again he loses a friend. He takes this loss hard because he loves his wife so much even though she’s hurting him as well «By the time the aunt arrived, orphaned Quoyle was again recast by circumstance, this time as an abandoned and cuckolded husband, a widower» (p. 20).

Later Quoyle meets his aunt Agnis who turns out to be of great support to him. She cares for his well-being and wants him to start a new life for himself and his children «The aunt had made a good case. What was left for him in Mockingburg? Unemployed, wife gone, parents deceased» (p. 29). So their journey starts. The four of them leave for Killick-Claw, Newfoundland, a small place where Quoyle’s ancestors lived «Though the ferry heaved toward Newfoundland, his chance to start anew. … And what would be more natural than where your family came from?» (p. 29). In Killick-Claw Quoyle gets a job as a reporter of the town’s shipping news.

Quoyle gets many friends in Killick-Claw. He spends some time with his colleagues from the paper. The family of Dennis and Beety becomes an important part of his life. They spend a lot of time together and their children play together all the time. Dennis and Beety also offer their help to Quoyle and his aunt. Among other things they take care of Quoyle’s children while he and Agnis is at work. In addition to his new friend he meets Wavey who’s to become his girlfriend and wife.

Wavey Prowse is a woman who’s to play an important part in Quoyle’s life. They have experienced rather similar situations. Quoyle has lost his wife and Wavey has lost her husband. The two of them spend a great deal of time together and enjoy each others’ company. They find some kind of comfort in each other «All he felt with Wavey was comfort and a modest joy» (p. 304). Their problem seems to be that they can’t forget each others’ former partners. Quoyle can’t forget Petal and Wavey’s husband won’t leave her mind. However, the two of them finally get together. They both realise that their former marriage had been a failure. None of them had been treated nice in any way «I know something now I didn’t know a year ago,» said Quoyle. «Petal wasn’t any good. And I think maybe that is why I loved her.» «Yes,» said Wavey. «Same with Herold. It’s like you feel to yourself that’s all you deserve» (p. 308).
 

Finally, it seems like Quoyle has succeeded in his search for his identity as well as having found the meaning of life. At pp. 336 and 337 his new life and his future is described in a very positive way «Quoyle experienced moments in all colors, uttered brilliancies, paid attention to the rich sound of waves counting stones, he laughed and wept, noticed sunsets, heard music in rain, said I do. A row of shining hubcaps on sticks appeared in the front yard of the Burkes’ house. A wedding present from the bride’s father. For if Jack Buggit could escape from the pickle jar, if a bird with a broken neck could fly away, what else might be possible? Water may be older than light, diamonds crack in hot goat’s blood, mountaintops give off cold fire, forests appear in mid-ocean, it may happen that a crab is caught with the shadow of a hand on its back, that the wind be imprisoned in a bit of knotted string. And it may be that love sometimes occurs without pain or misery».

Quoyle gets to know Killick-Claw well through working in the local paper “Gammy Bird”. He learns about the roads, the people, and the history of the town. Working in “Gammy Bird” is a good starting point for to get to know what’s been happening in Killick-Claw the latest years through doing interviews. In addition to this Quoyle reads back issues of the paper which makes him familiar with the events that’s taken place.

Through having the responsibility for the shipping news of the town Quoyle gets to hear about the old days. He meets a lot of people telling him stories about Killick-Claw from fishermen’s point of view. One of them is Diddy Shovel – the harbourmaster. He tells of departures and arrivals «what ships come into Killick-Claw, what ones goes out» (p. 69). Quoyle seems to find his identity through working in the “Gammy Bird”. His boss gives him credit for his work, as it says on p. 144 «Thirty-six years old and this was the first time anybody ever said he’d done it right», something which Quoyle isn’t used to. In the end of the novel Quoyle even becomes the managing editor of the paper.

What is also an indication of Quoyle having found the meaning of life is written on p. 320 «For no reason that he could think of except the long daylight, or the warmth, or because the air was so clear and sweet he felt he was just learning to breathe».