Tyler Brock
Encyclopedia
Tyler Brock is a fictional character in the novel Tai-Pan
. He is the Tai-pan, or "supreme leader" of Brock & Sons Trading Company, and the novel's antagonist. He is married to Liza Brock and has several children, including his sons Gorth, Morgan and Tom, and daughters Tess
and Elizabeth. Brock is presented as a tough character, with a rough, Birmingham accent and an eyepatch. He competes fiercely with protagonist Dirk Struan
, Tai-pan of Struan's Trading Company - known as the Noble House
.
Brock's enmity with Struan precedes the events of the book. Brock, being older than Struan, was the 3rd mate on ship The Vagrant Star, on which Struan was a deckhand. Brock whipped Struan and made his life on the ship hellish. This ended one night when their ship hit a reef and sank. Brock and Struan survived, and each began to build their respective companies.
Brock lost an eye sometime prior to the book, when his vessel was hit by wind. He was pinned under a broken mastbeam and thrashed about the face by a loose halyard, whose metal-capped end gouged out his eye. Despite his overwhelming hatred for Dirk Struan he passes up outside assistance in bringing down the Noble House, preferring to do it himself.
Tyler Brock never gets his chance for vengeance, as Dirk Struan dies in a typhoon before there can be a reckoning. In classic Shakespearean fashion Tyler's daughter Tess and Dirk's son Culum fall in love, getting married and condemning their fathers' hatred. But Tyler Brock disowns his little girl, a grudging act that has terrible consequences.
Now part of the Noble House, Tess works with her husband Culum, now Tai-Pan of Struans, to further the Noble House and extract the vengeance that Dirk Struan would never have. The novel leaves us at that, but future books in James Clavell's saga reveal the end of Tyler Brock.
When Culum dies, Tess takes over as Tai-Pan and orchestrates the fall of her father in 1863. A penniless Tyler Brock is seen pirating a Chinese junk ship and sailing north, screaming promises to rebuild his fortune and come back for the coveted title of "Noble House."
He is never seen or heard from again.
Tai-Pan (novel)
Tai-Pan is a novel written by James Clavell about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1842 following the end of the First Opium War. It is the second book in Clavell's "Asian Saga".-Plot summary:...
. He is the Tai-pan, or "supreme leader" of Brock & Sons Trading Company, and the novel's antagonist. He is married to Liza Brock and has several children, including his sons Gorth, Morgan and Tom, and daughters Tess
Tess Struan
Hag Struan redirects here.Tess Struan is a character in the James Clavell novels Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin. She is the daughter of Tyler Brock, Tai-pan of Brock & Sons Trading Company. Tess marries Culum Struan, who is the son of Dirk Struan, founder of Struan's trading company and main rival to her...
and Elizabeth. Brock is presented as a tough character, with a rough, Birmingham accent and an eyepatch. He competes fiercely with protagonist Dirk Struan
Dirk Struan
Dirk Lochlin Struan is the fictional main character of James Clavell's 1966 novel Tai-Pan. The title comes from a Cantonese term that Clavell loosely translates as "supreme leader", and Struan is the taipan or head of his own trading company in China, Struan's...
, Tai-pan of Struan's Trading Company - known as the Noble House
Noble House
Noble House is a novel by James Clavell, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong in 1963.It is a massive book, well over 1000 pages, with dozens of characters and numerous intermingling plot lines. In 1988, it was adapted as a television miniseries for NBC starring Pierce Brosnan...
.
Brock's enmity with Struan precedes the events of the book. Brock, being older than Struan, was the 3rd mate on ship The Vagrant Star, on which Struan was a deckhand. Brock whipped Struan and made his life on the ship hellish. This ended one night when their ship hit a reef and sank. Brock and Struan survived, and each began to build their respective companies.
Brock lost an eye sometime prior to the book, when his vessel was hit by wind. He was pinned under a broken mastbeam and thrashed about the face by a loose halyard, whose metal-capped end gouged out his eye. Despite his overwhelming hatred for Dirk Struan he passes up outside assistance in bringing down the Noble House, preferring to do it himself.
Tyler Brock never gets his chance for vengeance, as Dirk Struan dies in a typhoon before there can be a reckoning. In classic Shakespearean fashion Tyler's daughter Tess and Dirk's son Culum fall in love, getting married and condemning their fathers' hatred. But Tyler Brock disowns his little girl, a grudging act that has terrible consequences.
Now part of the Noble House, Tess works with her husband Culum, now Tai-Pan of Struans, to further the Noble House and extract the vengeance that Dirk Struan would never have. The novel leaves us at that, but future books in James Clavell's saga reveal the end of Tyler Brock.
When Culum dies, Tess takes over as Tai-Pan and orchestrates the fall of her father in 1863. A penniless Tyler Brock is seen pirating a Chinese junk ship and sailing north, screaming promises to rebuild his fortune and come back for the coveted title of "Noble House."
He is never seen or heard from again.