Throughout the short story “Sheila Mant”, the protagonist must decide between the bass and Sheila. To start, there are a number of reasons that the main character may choose the fish. One reasoning is that the boy absolutely loves fishing. He has been fishing for years, countless of hours spent in the summer on his boat, reeling in catch after catch. He has the primest gear, the top brand equipment, specifically naming his “Mitchell reel” and his “Pfleuger spinning rod” (Wetherell 2). He practices casts constantly, testing the reel’s drag and never going anywhere without his fishing pole. Fishing is more than a casual interest; it is a lifelong passion. Another reason the protagonist may pick the bass is shown through his vast amount of knowledge involving …show more content…
When he finally plucked up the courage to ask her out, it was only after agonizing sessions of self-doubt and indecision, walking towards her house and quitting before he got to the door. This reveals how Sheila is constantly on his mind, and that going out with her is one of his primary goals. He is, in the very sense of the word, lovesick. The final reason the protagonist may choose Sheila is that he hides his love of fishing for her. The second that she says she thinks fishing is dumb, he goes about covering his rod and gear, saying that he “would have given anything to not appear dumb in Sheila’s severe and unforgiving eyes” (Wetherell 3). When he is trying to keep the bass on the line, he makes excuses for her and tries to keep her from knowing what he is actually doing, all in the hope to keep her happy with him. This conveys how much Sheila’s opinion means to the boy, and the extent he is willing to go to make sure she approves of him, even if it means lying about his most beloved hobby. Ultimately, weighing the importance of both the fish and the girl to the protagonist, I predict that he will choose Sheila over the