The opening scene of the story makes up a typical occasion in the life of an extremely poor Portuguese boy. “Manuel had passed the fish on his way up the road... Next to it a boy leaned against the railings, his rod and line dangling out over the floating garbage and the stream of brown, stinking waste which trickled from a pipe in the wall below(Collins 1).” The boy, who fishes in extremely dirty water, hopes to feed his family with the fish that he catches. While this occasion in itself doesn 't have any genuine conflict, the entrance of the husband and wife American tourists mixes the pressure that turns into the center of the story. After seeing the withering fish in the drain, the lady seems to be extremely irritated, and asks for that the boy toss it back in the water. In doing such, the woman demonstrates that she is not without sympathy. The boy does not comprehend what she is asking for and this …show more content…
The fish is the main component of the story is described in detail inside and out, “It was eighteen to twenty inches long and its silvery scales were covered with dirt. The gill flaps opened like two gash wounds on the sides of its head as it thrashed helplessly in the gutter(Collings 1)."The repeated, realistic description of the dying fish inspires pity in the readers, compelling us to level with American woman before she is even presented. After that, as Manuel portrays the significance of the fish to the young boy, readers are torn between their two ideas of the fish, uncertain whether to feel sorry for the fish or for the boy. Along these lines, the main conflict and fundamental message of the story are formed,with the fish turning into an image of the differing