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Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Big Fish, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Ambition, Courage, and Personal Fulfilment
Truth, Myth, and Immortality
Love, Flaws, and Acceptance
The Redemptive Power of Laughter
Summary
Analysis
Edward leaves Jimson’s store and decides to attend college, so he heads for Auburn. When he finally arrives, exhausted, he boards with an old lady and sleeps for three days. Edward feels much better when he wakes up, so he offers to help the lady as a gesture of thanks. The lady explains that some kids broke into her apartment a few days ago and stole her glass eye from her nightstand. Edward sets off to find the glass eye, and he learns that many rumors are circulating about it. People say the eye has “magic powers,” that it can see, and that looking directly at it will summon the old lady to torture you.
This story—involving an old lady and a missing glass eye—also emphasizes Edward’s proactive nature, and his desire to seek out challenges head on, rather than sidestepping them, even if he is only indirectly connected with the issue. Once again, Wallace begins to weave in fantastical elements—this time in the form of rumors or superstition—implying the old lady is a witch of sorts, and that the eye has magical powers.
Themes
The gang who stole the eye takes turns to watch it every night. Edward decides to befriend the group to learn more. After asking around, Edward’s told to come to a secluded barn that night. When he enters, he sees a group of ominous-looking hooded figures sitting around the eye, which rests on a silk pillow. Edward explains that the eye summoned him, so the gang leader deems that Edward should look after it that night. They warn him that if the eye disappears, they’ll take one if his eyes instead. Edward leaves with the eye, not knowing what to do and wondering what it would feel like to lose his own eye.
Wallace continues to weave in embellishments with the ominous description of the gang and the eye on the pillow. Here, he might be describing a fraternity initiation, or some other college hazing ritual of sorts, but in a far more fantastical way. Edward’s fear and uncertainty emphasize that sometimes heroes are scared, or don’t know what to do, but they persevere despite their worries, which is what makes their actions heroic.
Themes
In the morning Edward returns to the barn and hands over an empty box. The gang leader lunges at Edward in fury until Edward explains that the eye is here, it's just not in the box. The door creaks open and the old lady walks in, wearing the glass eye. The boys can’t turn away. They stare into the old lady’s eyes and she stares right back. One boy screams, one cries, and another just looks confused. Terrified, the boys run away, vowing never to bother Edward in case the old lady comes for them. Edward sticks around and becomes an “A student” who remembers everything—including the face of the leader, who is actually the man William’s mother (Sandra) almost marries.
Edward comes up with an ingenious solution that meets two conflicting demands at once: the old lady gets her eye back, and he (technically) returns the eye to the barn as promised. Edward’s solution emphasizes his wit, intelligence, and ingenuity. The story also represents the power in facing bullies (or people who use intimidation tactics to deter a person from their goals), rather than caving into fear and complying.
Themes
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