67 pages • 2-hour read
Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions
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Essay Topics
What role does water play in Edward's life?
What does using tall tales to tell his life story reveal about Edward as a person? Why doesn't it matter whether the stories are true?
How does Edward regard fatherhood? Does his attitude towards it change over the novel's course?
In the context of this novel, how would you define a 'big fish'?
Does William's attitude towards his father change over the course of the book? If so, how? If not, why not?
Why might the author have chosen to present Edward's death in four different ways? What does this demonstrate about William's relationship to storytelling?
Big Fish contains many allusions to classical and mythical hero quests, like those of Odysseus and Hercules. What is William's quest? What is Edward's?
What is Edward's attitude towards mortality? What about William's?
Would you argue Edward lived in his life in either a selfish or unselfish way? Why?
Many of the stories in Edward's life are brief, while others have many details. Why might this be? What might this have to say about memory's function?
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