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Character Analysis of Big Liam O'Grady in Maurice Walsh's The Quiet Man

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Character Analysis of Big Liam O'Grady in Maurice Walsh's The Quiet Man
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Big Liam O'Grady

By: Charles Baker

Maurice Walsh's short story The Quiet Man introduces a few interesting characters, but one I found very intriguing wbas a man named Big Liam O'Grady. Big Liam was one of the main characters who played a huge role in the story. Big Liam may have played the "Bad guy" role in this story, but even the worst villains can have a good trait or two. From reading the short story, you notice that Big Liam really sticks with harrassing and provoking his enemy, Shawn Kelvin. By continuously provoking throughout the story, showed perserverence. Big Liam Constantly was trying to get Shawn Kelvin to fight him, again and again at different parts in the story. For relentlessly trying to fight Shawn, and even during the fight, showed Big Liam's perserverence. Another trait that helped pursue his perserverence was his boldness. Liam was never afraid to make a scene or put on a show. Big Liam was ready to fight Shawn in public in many encounters in the story, which shows Liam's boldness. Now, as we stated, Big Liam was the enemy of the story, and as most "Bad guys" have, are bad traits. Big Liam O'Grady was pretty much an all around bad person in general. Liam was conceited, very selfish, and had the temper to drive you wild. All big Liam thinks about is himself. He feels as if he could boss everyone around because of his size. Other than himself, the only thing he loves is money. Liam doesn't share either. He feels the more the merrier should be the way of life for him. He goes crazy over two hundred dollars Shawn Kelvin throws in a fire. Liam's temper shows everytime he is around Shawn. He is practically a ticking time-bomb around Shawn. Big Liam thought of himself as the boss, and a tough guy, all because of his size. It describes Big Liam in the story as "A great raw-boned, sandy haired man, with the strength of an ox, and a heart no bigger than a sour apple." It's said he was "A man of iron."

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