Big Fish, by Daniel Wallace, is at its core a collection of stories, each with its own individual life and meaning. Some adapted from Herculean trails to fit the main character, others faintly resembling various mythological tales such as Odysseus's journey, and some a creation all of their own. Taken as a whole, these stories recount the life of Edward Bloom while revealing a unique relationship between a son and his dying father. After reading these stories as a whole, one thing is clear about the title, Big Fish, and that is its direct reference to Edward Bloom, the main character. Throughout Daniel Wallace’s novel, Edward bloom as a ‘Big Fish’ reveals three different levels of meaning: on the surface, the progression of Edward’s life as …show more content…
At the beginning of Edward’s life, in Ashland, he was a Big Fish in a small pond. According to William, “They say he [Edward] knew more than anybody, even Mr. Pinkwater, the Librarian. He was a big fish, even then”(12). But this, being a big fish in a small pond, was not all that Edward wanted. Said best by himself, "I wanted to be a great man… Can you believe it? I thought it was my destiny. A big fish in a big pond -- that's what I wanted. That's what I wanted from day one" (21). Edward’s driving force in life was to become a great man. Really, the overarching theme of all the vignettes is simply Edward’s struggle to do something meaningful with his life and become a “big fish in a big pond”(21). And in keeping in line with this thought process, another important aspect of the meaning behind Edward wanting to become a ‘Big Fish’ is that he had to define what becoming great (or a big fish) actually was. Throughout the novel, Edward struggles with this idea, questioning the choices he made in his life and how he used his time. Edward wonders if he should have been there more for his family instead of off with Jenny in Specter. However, when he asks his son William, Edward is provided with somewhat of an answer: “I think,” I say after a while, waiting for the right words to come, “that if a man could be said to be loved by his son, then I think that man could be …show more content…
By examining the three layers of meaning behind the ‘Big Fish’ himself, one can see how Edward accomplished his goal and got his son to see the deeper meaning. Manifested in the joke he tells to his father before he dies, William is able to accept Edward’s flaws and the greatness of him as ‘Big Fish.’ He is able to, as Edward says, “believe in
In “Nightwatch”, a chapter of the novel Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard guides the reader through an experience with migrating eels, creates vibrant mental images, and involves the readers with her own thoughts. This is all accomplished through the use of rhetorical strategies, namely diction, figurative language, syntax, and imagery; these elements culminate in Dillard’s intense, guiding tone that involves the readers with the eel experience. Diction is vital to creating Dillard’s fervent and guiding tone throughout “Nightwatch.” The use of gruesome and detailed words like “milling… mingling” and “seething… squirming, jostling,” causes the reader to erupt in silent shivers.
In the short story, “The Rip”, author Robert Drewe uses the idea of Sophie holding a jellyfish “at arms length” to display how she is becoming wary of her father, John, and is keeping him distanced from herself. he reassures her, as if he was trying to reassure himself that their relationship will not become an “anecdote”, but a reality. John is thinking about how he wants to be freed from his emotional turmoil, and how badly he wants to spend this quality time with his daughter and protect her. This “protection” is symbolised by the shark attack (the divorce of John and his wife), and the fear running through everyones minds. This makes the reader feel as if John is putting pressure on himself to make Sophie like him.
[Edward]. I believed your stories so much longer than I should have. Then when I realized everything you said was impossible. I felt like a fool for trusting you.” (Big Fish, T. Burton)
Something that I found fascinating was that Edward lacked love for Abilene, Although Edward is a doll and you might think, “Edward must find lots of love for Abilene and be grateful for his loving family.” Well Edward was more grateful to his luxurious fashion instead of the love of Abilene. When Edward got thrown off of the cruise ship. He only found hope of getting home and getting back to his rich life, while not even thinking about Abilene. When he ended up encountering many people, while he lost someone, he learned more about what love is and how love can make you feel when put into deep emotions.
Also, the fish represent the obstacles that one may face while trying to reach their goal and shaping their ability to achieve it. This ultimately challenges them to decide whether to accept the task and grow or abandon their dreams by giving up. The girl’s the environment around her influenced her hard work ethic and her decision to have patience to accomplish her
As the speaker thinks about what to do with the fish, and begins to earn more appreciation and empathy for him, the colors start to grow. The full range of colors, the rainbow, symbolizes the speaker putting all the pieces together to make the decision to release the fish. III. Finally, the symbolism, similes, metaphors, imagery, and setting present in “Love and Friendship” shows the reader how observant Bronte’s perspective had on the poem’s theme that love changes and can be painful or hurtful as friendships are more likely to remain the same or more balanced. A.
“You were a big fish in a small pond, but this here is the ocean, and you’re drowning.” This quote is said by Amos Callaway in the film Big Fish directed by Tim Burton. A quote like this can have several different interpretations and meanings. After all the direct meaning of the quote in the story means that Edwards ambition was too large for the small town of Ashton and he needed to get out to fulfill those ambition, but he is not fulfilling that ambition (drowning) in life (ocean). Another interpretation this quote can have is that Edward was well prepared for life in the beginning but once he got to the big world he was ill prepared.
The Sea King is widowed and his mother takes care of his palace. “They were six beautiful children; but the youngest was the prettiest of them all; her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea; but, like all the others, she had no feet, and her body ended in a fish’s tail. All day long they played in the great halls of the castle, or among the living flowers that
The film continues to use several different approaches to invoke an emotional response from the audience. Even the choice to name the documentary “blackfish” is not immediately clear to the audience until Dave Duffus, an OSHA Expert Witness and whale researcher, explains that “the First Nations People and fisherman on the coast…called them blackfish. They’re animals that possess great spiritual powers and are not to be meddled with” (Blackfish). By titling the documentary “blackfish”, the audience begins to ponder that, perhaps, the Indians, in their experience with nature, understood something about these magnificent creatures that we do not truly grasp. These large mammals seem to be more complex than the common person may, initially, realize.
What Edward realized does not matter. What matters is the fact that realizing who you are and what you want to do makes the pain of puberty go away. You suddenly feel like you fit in a section and humans always are looking for where they belong. Tim Burton has many ideas and only some can be captured through his
Remember those dark nights from your childhood when you were afraid of the boogeyman? He never did come out of your closet, but that doesn’t mean all monsters are make-believe. Meet Albert Fish: a real-life nightmare, who preyed upon children as if they were food. Hamilton Howard Fish was born on May 19, 1870 in Washington D.C.
A quote to support this part of the book is, “Chief Swan, I promise to take care of your daughter and nothing will happen to her.” This is very important to the theme because he has transformed into someone who loaths a person and now he absolutly is in love with her and will do anything to protect her. Another quote to support this is, “Bella, I love you with all my heart and I will protect you as much as I can for as long as you live.” This is probably the most important quote throughtout the book because you can tell that Edward has serious feelings for Bella and he will go out of his way to anything for her, and this is a very serious thing to go through because he is in love with Bella Swan.
Edward lived in that mansion for most of his life, then he was brought down to the suburbs by peg when she found out that he was living alone up there. He is very child-like and he is also undeveloped. When Edward first went down to the suburbs he was treated like prince and everyone wanted to win him over. Then after he got arrested for breaking in and entering into Jim’s house the women started to
Edward also has no character development; Edward is an obsessive creep throughout out the books. Furthermore, Edward never develops a personality of his own; instead he becomes what every high school girl wishes her perfect man would be. Edward watches Bella when she sleeps and he also follows her around. Not only is he a creep, but he is also he is also a control freak and a hypocrite. Edward tries to control where Bella goes; also, he doesn't want Bella to hang out with the wolves because they are dangerous even though he is just as dangerous.
- Edward is an economically independent man with a favorable status and influential connections still looking for a profitable match. Jane will be the one in charge to unmask him to the audience: “I saw he was going to marry her [Blanche Ingram] for family, perhaps political reasons, because her rank and connections suited him” (Brontë 205) This manner of conduct converts Mr. Rochester from a hero into a villain, a perpetrator and “his project of