Freddie Quell

Grew Up… a social outcast. His odd demeanor and lack of relatable social skills made him an easy target for exclusion. His mother was sent to “the loony bin” and he had a sexual relationship with his auntie Bertha. The term “dysfunctional family” doesn’t quite do his past justice.

Living… in post-war America. Freddie was a sailor during the Second World War. What he experienced during wartime twisted his perceptions even further, separating him from normal life and making it even harder to re-assimilate after returning home. But when he sneaks onboard a yacht belonging to enigmatic philosopher-scientist Lancaster Dodd, Freddie begins a soul-searching journey he will never forget.

Profession… Navy veteran. Without the war, Freddie becomes a vagabond, bouncing from job to job trying to survive and find a place in the world. He works as a farmhand and as a department store photographer, only to realize that he can’t relate with or fit into a normal job in society.

Interests… making potions out of any chemicals and alcohol he can find. Freddie is an alcoholic, but he is remarkably un-choosy and resourceful in what kind of “spirits” he drinks or makes. If it can give him a buzz, Freddie will drink it.

Relationship Status… single. Freddie is sexually promiscuous but won’t ever forget his sweetheart from before the war, Doris. Although she is much younger than him, still in high school in fact, he forms a long-lasting bond and swears to return to her. But it’s hard to see that really happening, or ending well if it does.

Challenge… finding a place for himself. Perhaps he will continue to travel the world, running away from himself, in a way. Or maybe he will find something in Lancaster Dodd’s intriguing philosophy-slash-religion called “The Cause.”

Personality… complex, socially disconnected, and explosive. Freddie is a hard drinker with a ton of problems that he seems unlikely to solve, perhaps even with professional help from “The Cause.” He’s a loose cannon ready to explode at any moment. He’s not afraid to inflict physical violence upon others if it will get him out of a tight situation. Most people tend to run the other way from Freddie, but Lancaster Dodd is not most people.