Another Shore

A Dublin-based man who has left his Revenue job due to a small pension and spends each day plotting an apparent fortune. He lingers at St Stephen's Green and on Grafton Street, hoping to aid a wealthy stranger for money to fund a one-way trip to Rarotonga. His charm hides a calculating, dream-chasing opportunist willing to gamble with people’s lives for a drastic escape from his ordinary existence.

An Anglo-Irish woman with a curious, discerning nature who becomes intrigued by Gulliver’s plan. She invites him into her world and into a complicated dynamic of attraction and suspicion. Ultimately she remains central to his life, and their relationship culminates in marriage, anchoring his return to a more conventional life.

A refined Scottish gentleman who sits beside Gulliver and shares a similar dream of the South Seas. He serves as a foil and parallel to Gulliver, shaping the story’s commentary on class, aspiration, and the allure of escape. Their interactions propel the plan to pursue distant horizons, contrasting with the local, everyday world.

Jennifer’s friend who steps into the plan at the crucial moment, taking Gulliver’s place on the boat to the South Seas. He represents a pragmatic, opportunistic counterpoint to Gulliver’s more romantic dreams, adding a practical twist to the pursuit of escape.

An unassuming elderly figure who becomes a target of Gulliver’s schemes after being struck by a car. Gulliver helps her hoping for a reward, but the outcome is a luncheon voucher rather than the fortune he seeks, underscoring the comic tragedy of his ventures.