Yellow Fish As a Metaphorical Short Story

Yellow Fish As a Metaphorical Short Story

Yellow Fish As a Metaphorical Short Story

Yellow Fish As a Metaphorical Short Story

‘Yellow Fish’ is a metaphorical short story by Ambai (C.S. Lakshmi) written on the theme of a woman’s craving for liberation from a male-dominated Society.

At first, the author Ambai gives a vivid and realistic description of the sea-shore, fishing boats and fisherwomen in the story. The authors show that all the fishing boats had arrived one by one at the shore. The boats were replete with fishes. The fishermen spread their nets and began sorting the fishes. The fishes seemed to splash into plastic troughs. Their round eyes looked to be wide open. The unwanted fishes were thrown away. Among the unwanted fishes, there was a yellow fish. It was also thrown away on the sand. It had some black spots. As the narrator stooped to watch the yellow fish, it began to shudder and leap. The mouth gaped and closed and tossed about on the hot sand.  Seeing the yellow fish, the memory of Jalaja, came to the narrator’s mind.

With the mention of the name ‘Jalaja’, the second section of the story has begun. Here we come to know that the narrator of the story is a woman named Anu. She is present with her husband Arun on the seashore. Jalaja was their girl-child who died as an infant. The opening and closing of the mouth of the yellow fish reminded Jalaja who also did the same to survive. After her birth, she was put in an incubator. Her mouth was red but pale to look at. Her eyes were round like that of the yellow fish. Sometimes she seemed to open and close her mouth as if it was sucking. But she did not survive. She died. Her ashes, after the cremation, were put into an urn. Its narrow mouth was tied with a piece of cloth.

Later on, we see that a fisherboy was on his way home back from splashing in the waves. When he came near Anu, she asked him, ”Will you throw this yellow fish back into the sea?”

With a quick snort of laughter, he grabbed the fish firmly by its tail and started running towards the sea. The narrator (Anu) ran after him. The boy placed the yellow fish on the crest of an incoming wave. For a moment it spluttered helpless, like a drunkard who could not find the way home. Again it opened its mouth to the water, taking it in. It swished its tail and swam forward and merged into the blue-grey-white of the sea.

Thus the image of the yellow fish connects (symbolizes)  Jalaja who died as an infant being treated as unnecessary as yellow fish in a male-dominated society.  0 0 0

Yellow Fish As a Metaphorical Short Story

Read More: Ambais’ Short Stroy Yellow Fish-An Analytical Study

N. B. This article entitled ”Yellow Fish’ As a Metaphorical Short Story’ originally belongs to the book ‘World Short Story Criticism‘ by Menonim Menonimus. Yellow Fish As a Metaphorical Short Story

Books of Literary Criticism by M. Menonimus:

1. World Short Story Criticism
2. World Poetry Criticism
3. World Drama Criticism
4. World Novel Criticism
5. World Essay Criticism
6. Indian English Poetry Criticism
7. Indian English Poets and Poetry Chief Features
8. Emily Dickinson’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
9. Walt Whitman’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
10. Critical Essays on English Poetry
11. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: Return of the Spirit-An Analytical Study
12. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf’-An Analytical Study
13. Analytical Studies of Some Arabic Short Stories
14. A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period …