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Part 3: How It Ends
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
William says, “finally, it happened like this” and asks the reader to stop him if they’ve heard this one. His father is dying in an oxygen tent in Jefferson Memorial Hospital. Sandra leaves occasionally to talk to the doctors, but William just holds Edward’s hand and waits. The doctors, spearheaded by Dr. Bennett, are distinguished specialists who say fancy things. Edward lies in a coma. Dr. Bennett, their faithful family doctor, who’s more of a friend these days, says he doesn’t think Edward will make it out of this one, especially without the machines.
William tells the final version of his father’s death—and just as before, he says “it happened like this”—meaning there are elements of truth in this version, too. William is about to transform Edward’s death into a mythical story. In urging the reader that this version is on a par with the other versions, William shows that he finally sees the value in Edward’s stories, because they communicate something true about a person’s character, even if the facts are embellished.
Themes
William stares at the machines, noting they’re not “life,” but “life support.” It all reminds William of a joke that Edward always tells: there’s this man, who’s poor, but he needs a new suit. He searches far and wide and finally finds one that he can afford, except it’s way too big. So, he starts bending his elbows “like this,”, and walking without moving one of his legs, “like this,” until he passes two women. One says, “what a poor, poor man!” And the other says “but what a nice suit!” William can’t tell the joke the way Edward did, or drag his leg the way Edward did. William isn’t laughing at all. He’s crying.
The juxtaposition of “life” and “life support” shows that although Edward is still breathing, all the things about him that made him come alive are gone. In this moving to Edward’s character, William retells Edward’s favorite joke, which is wrapped up in love, joy, and deep sense of grief. It’s clear that William has realized that Edward’s joke-cracking ways are precisely what William will miss the most about his father.
Themes
Edward, who probably realizes William really needs a joke right about now, wakes, briefly. Edward pleads for some water and says he’s worried about William. William tells Edward not to worry. Edward says he’s a father and he can’t help it. Edward explains that he “really did try” to teach William “a thing or two,” even if he wasn’t around much, and he wants William to tell him what Edward as taught him, so he can die without worrying. William looks into his father’s eyes—wishing he knew Edward better—and says, “There’s this man, and he’s a poor man, but he needs a suit…”
In Edward’s dying moments, Edward asks for water. representing a last grasp at life. Edward explains that despite his absences he always loved William dearly, and his jokes and stories were intended to teach William life lessons and bolster his resilience, rather than to deflect or create distance between them. William shows that he accepts, understands, and loves Edward just as he is when he tells Edward’s favorite joke to him as he dies.
Themes
