Big Fish Analysis

Hello everyone!
I have just watched a small part from the Big Fish and now i will be doing an assignment on it.

1) What does the phrase "a big fish in a small pond" mean to you?
In my opinion, it links me to another saying, "don't judge the book by its cover". In this context, it means that a small pond does not mean that the fishes in it are small too, and can be really big. However, it can also mean that there is a very important person in a small community. (:

2)What is the purpose of Edward Bloom's tall tale about the big fish and the wedding ring?
He is telling people that sometimes, the only way to get something and achieve something you really want is to sacrifice something very valuable to you as well. Also, he is also telling people to expect the impossible, just like how impossible a small pond will contain such a huge fish.

3)How does William Bloom as a boy feel about his father's telling of the tale? How does the feeling change as he gets older?
When William is young, he is already bored of the story, as his father repeats it to him extremely frequently. However, when he became a teenager, probably in high school, he became embarrassed of his father telling other people the "fake"fantasy. Next, when he became an adult and was getting married, he became furious at his father for telling the tale, and felt that his father was embarrassing himself, and embarrassing William, himself too.

4)Why does Edward Bloom feel the need to keep repeating the tale throughout his life?
He wanted to remind the people to expect the impossible, and also telling them that they have to sacrifice to achieve something really successful.

5)What does the tale reveal about the relationship between Edward and William Bloom?
It reveals that their father and son relationship is not very good, and thus leading to them separating for a few years. However, i feel that it is mostly William Bloom's fault as he was the one that started the arguement. However, on the other hand, i also feel that his father is at fault as well, as he was not forgiving enough to give his son a second chance.

6)Consider the quote: "In telling the story of my father's life, it's impossible to separate fact from fiction, the man from the myth. The best i can do is to tell it the way he told me. It doesn't always make sense, and most of it never happened, but that's what kind of story this is." What stories have you been told that match this description? What is the effect of telling a story in this way?


7)Does bending or exaggerating the truth for the purpose of conveying an entertaining story undercut the believability of such a story? Is a tall tale less valid than a straight reportage of facts? Why or why not?


For the questions in orange, i am not sure how to answer it, and will be asking my teacher and classmates for advice, and will get back to you at the next blog post!

Thank you for your kind attention!

Best regards,
Mervin :DD