Commercial fishing interests Character Analysis

Late in the story, the narrator notes that big commercial fishing boats have attempted to come into the traditional fishing waters of the village, but are unable to make inroads because they find their traps lost or destroyed and leave the area. The clear implication is that the residents of the village are sneaking out in boats at night and sabotaging the commercial traps. This back and forth captures another side of the battle between the outside modern world and the local traditions of the village. In this case, the villagers success in rebuffing the outside fishing ships suggests that despite their greater wealth and resources, outsiders to the community will never be able to claim what isn’t theirs. But, at the same time, the story of the narrator’s family suggests that the fishing village may slowly lose its fisherman, and a temporary setback for the commercial fishing interests doesn’t mean that they won’t return. Further, the story’s reference to the Scottish Highland clearances, which involved wealthier interests evicting tenant farmers in order to consolidate grazing lands, indicate that what is happening follows a longstanding pattern in which the forces of money and change usually, eventually win out.