Big Fish - Narrative Analysis
1. What method is used to open the storyline of the movie? Justify your choice.
In the movie, The Big Fish, there were 2 openings to the story: one involving Edward and one his son. For Edward, the opening implied that he was dying, consequently his son had flown in to care for him. The other expository opening was his son’s wedding, providing some of the background as well as conflict (the communication difficulties) for the rest of the movie. The implied opening brought a sense of urgency to the conflict (raised by the background opening) between the two.
2. What point of view is used? Explain.
The narrator presented the movie with a first person viewpoint, even though at first it appeared that it was a third
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Record the theme for this story.
The theme of The Big Fish was if a man believes in himself, he will have the ability to become whatever he wishes. Edward always was the big fish in the small pond before he left with the giant, Karl, to travel and find his destiny. Throughout the narrative the big fish returned as a reference to white lies, the cycle of life, and the chase for true love. At the end of the movie, Edward had touched so many lives in unique ways that he had become the biggest fish in the pond.
5. Compare the characters of father and son in the movie.
When Edward and William are juxtaposed, it was obvious that both care very deeply for each other. The manner of each man causes conflict that drove the story forward. Edward is a loud, verbose, even somewhat flamboyant character who shares his experiences as parables and metaphors with his much more conservative, reticent son. William believes in true fact and history, no lies, preferably without all of the parable, intrigue, and imagery he sees as the flamboyant nature of his father. The foil of the two characters is not resolved until William begins to realize true history was told to him, and he joins his father to the metaphor to prove he