“The Whale”
By: Yves Theriault "
Protagonist: Ambroise Bourdages Ambroise is a fisherman who lives with his mother in a small port town. He has his own crew and fishing boat. Ambroise is in love with a woman named Gabrielle. He is trusting of others and does not lie or deceive people. For example, he believes that Clovis, bankerʼs son, can be trusted and would never lie to others, so Ambroise invites Clovis with him to catch another whale. Ambroise also has integrity and doesnʼt want people to think he himself is a liar, so when the town doesnʼt believe him, he decides to redo his feat. His determination in risking his life to repeat his whale-catching success also shows that he doesnʼt give up in what he believes in. Ambroise is a dynamic character because by the end of the story, he is willing to lie in order to agree with Gabrielle, even though he was initially very concerned about honesty.
Antagonist: Clovis, the bankerʼs son Clovis is described as “prissy” and “affected” (187). He is also a gossip, as he listens to gossip and tells Ambroise about the whale-catching rumours circulating in the villages along the coast. Clovis is also untrustworthy and a liar. He assures Ambroise he doesnʼt tell lies because he would never want to disgrace his father, a banker. However, once Ambroise needs him to confirm the successful whalecatching expedition, Clovis lies about what really happened. Clovis looks out for himself because he lies in order to make Ambroise appear inferior in front of the girl they both love. He then admits this to Ambroise, which makes Clovis mean-spirited for making Ambroise feel terrible. Clovis is a static character because he remains the same throughout the entire story
Plot Summary In the story “The Whale,” by Yves Theriault, Ambroise Bourdages catches a whale with a cod-fishing hook. Unfortunately, the whale escapes before he can return to the port. No one believes his story, and as it spreads through the towns, the