Big Fish Novel

Name:
Institution:
Course:
Date:
“Big Fish” Book Review
William’s perceptions about his father as a liar start changing when he decides to consider the stories he was told by his father, Edward. Furthermore, though he had spent most of his time angry about his father telling stories of lies to everyone he uses the story to reconstruct the image of the father he knew even if some of the parts of his father’s life are not clear. However, William realizes that some of his father’s stories were true and acknowledges, “my father’s youthful exploits were many, and the stories told even to this day are beyond count.”(p 31), indicating that the stories had already influenced him. It is through the stories that Edward had told to his son that influence his decisions to change the way he sees his father. William also acknowledges that the only way that he would be able to acquire knowledge and pass it on is through storytelling. After all, it is through the stories that he was told by his father that made him accept that Edward was a legend. Besides, his father had told him, “remembering a man’s stories make him immortal.” (p 26).
Besides, Williams learns through the story what his father had always wanted in life and the reason he was always absent most times of his son’s childhood. In spite of the fictions in the story, William learns things that he had not learned about his father physically (Wallace, p 25). For instance, the story about the big fish where Edward tries to make his son understand that the moment William was born was Edward’s great achievement of his life.

William learns through stories that he was the big fish in his father’s life and influences his decision to change the way he was angry about Edward, “…the day I was born, they won.” (p 93). Additionally, the things the father talks about in his stories such as taming the giant and escaping from the world that no one ever escaped and the way he crafted the stories to make them interesting influences William to acknowledge the legendary father.
Storytelling also informs William about morals that his father could not get time to monitor him and train him what was good and what was bad. Through stories, his dad would exaggerate some situations to teach William moral lessons and the things that the son is not supposed to do to others.
“…and as a father, I have tried to teach you a thing or two. I really did try. Maybe I wasn’t around so much but when I was, I tried to teach.” (p 127)
For instance, the story about Don Price who had stolen the glass eye from the old lady is meant to teach William that it is wrong to steal other people’s items (Wallace, p 41). Edward tells his son that he is not supposed to believe the story but “believe in it. It’s like – a metaphor.” (p 88). Additionally, in recovering the glass eye from the old lady, it is a lesson to William that he should always be appreciative of those do good things to him and respond with kindness.
As William recollects of his father’s life, he cannot tell much about Edward’s life even though they had been close as father and son, and he had to construct his version of what he thinks his father was. It would be obvious that for someone who William was close to, he would have been able to tell a lot about his father (Wallace, p 49). Instead, his father’s absenteeism for the most part of his son’s childhood, William could not tell much about his father. The only things he remembers are the stories that Edward used to tell his son William some of which was true and some of which they were tales. In spite of the frustrations that William had about his father not being honest with him, he holds on to the stories and tries to maintain the image of his father as a hero and fill the void that was missing of an absent father. Edwards “magic of absence yielded the ordinariness of his presence.” (p 23)
Consequently, although William had always presumed his father to be a liar who used to tell everyone stories to make up for the time Edward was away for the family, the son realizes that the stories made his father an immortal figure.
“…and that’s when I realized my father wasn’t dying after all. He was just changing, transforming himself into something new and different to carry his life forward in” (p 132)
There was not much to recall about Edward other than the storytelling that he was quite good at and everyone who heard his stories would never forget them. To make peace with his father and keep a piece of his memory, the stories comforted William since he could not be able to get the truth from the dad even on the deathbed. After acknowledging how significant the stories were in shaping what he knew about his father, he tells Edward a story of his dying moment, and they finally make peace. He also adopts the storytelling legacy that he passes on to his children in honoring the memory of his father.
“…I always remember his jokes…it’s a family heirloom. It’s one I tell myself still, out loud and alone, the way he told it to me…” (126)
The fact that William uses the stories to understand his father and change his perception as well as willing to continue with the legacy shows storytelling has overturned his presuppositions.
In conclusion, Big Fish by Daniel Wallace shows the significance of storytelling and how things are never constant in life. Through storytelling, Edward manages to influence the decisions of his son as well as inform on morals and overturn his son’s presuppositions. Even though William had spent most of his time perceiving his father to be a liar, when he prepares to visit his father on his dying bed, William realizes how key the storytelling was. It is through the storytelling that he got to learn about morals despite the exaggerations and fictions in the story. Besides, he realizes the only way that he could recreate and understand his father’s life is through constructing stories and making up some of the things that were not clear.
Work Cited
Wallace, Daniel. Big Fish. S.l.: SIMON & SCHUSTER LTD, 2017. Print.