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Analysis of the character of the wife in the story 'The Old Man, Fishing, and the Golden Fish'
I. Outline Analyzing the character of the wife in the story 'The Old Man, Fishing, and the Golden Fish' (Standard)
1. Introduction
- Introduce the author, Pushkin, a great Russian poet. He left a vast body of literary works for humanity.
- Besides poetry, Pushkin also wrote short stories. 'The Old Man, Fishing, and the Golden Fish' is a prominent work. Through the portrayal of the wife, the story presents a profound philosophical lesson about limitless greed and the ungrateful, treacherous nature of human beings.
2. Body
- Summarize the story
- The character of the wife is constructed as a greedy, calculating individual: constantly demanding material possessions from the golden fish even though she has done nothing to deserve them.
→ From small material things like a trough, a house, a castle to social status as a lady, queen, and finally a dragon.
=> Unrealistic dreams, surpassing even the principles of being human...(Continued)
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II. Sample essay Analyzing the character of the wife in the story 'The Old Man, Fishing, and the Golden Fish' (Standard)
Pushkin, the great Russian literary figure, is globally acknowledged with reverence. Throughout dedicated years, he bequeathed a colossal body of work to world literature. Beyond poetry, Pushkin also ventured into prose, crafting short stories. 'The Old Man, Fishing, and the Golden Fish' stands out among his notable works. Through the portrayal of the wife, the story imparts a profound philosophical lesson on the boundless greed and ungrateful, treacherous living of humanity.
The narrative unfolds the lives of an impoverished elderly fisherman couple residing by the seashore. During a routine fishing expedition, the husband accidentally catches a golden fish. Pleading for mercy, the golden fish promises gratitude. Knowing the story, the wife cunningly exploits the golden fish to fulfill her demands. From one demand to another, her requests become increasingly unreasonable. Finally, when she demands to become the Dragon King and have the golden fish serve her, all her desires instantly dissipate. She reverts to being a poor old woman next to a broken trough.
The wife in the story is a greedy, covetous individual. Right from the start, she puts no effort into sparing the golden fish's life. In stark contrast to her husband, who is selfless and does good without expecting rewards, she persistently demands that the old man return to the sea to claim her entitlements. Initially, she only asks for a good trough because hers is broken. This seems like a reasonable wish, but once she has the trough, she escalates her demands to a beautiful, spacious house. Life-long deprivation and hardship lead her to feel cramped in her current humble dwelling. Here, readers witness the escalating desires of humanity as soon as they obtain a desired possession, always yearning for something better. However, it can be understood that these desires can still be acceptable.
Nevertheless, her insatiable greed becomes evident as her demands become increasingly excessive and unacceptable. Material changes are not enough; she desires to become a noble lady, altering her fundamentally impoverished nature. Subsequently, she demands to become a queen, wielding all power, living in a luxurious castle. The insatiable greed reaches its peak when she demands to become Long Quan, desiring the golden fish to serve her. This irrational action surpasses the normal moral principles of life. From a poor fisherman's wife, she, in a blink, attains the power of a queen. Yet, for her, it is still not enough. Ultimately, she loses everything and returns to a life of poverty next to a broken trough. The extreme greed blinds her, and she no longer thinks about right or wrong. If only she had wished for a comfortable house and a modest garden, she could have lived abundantly. The character's greed is portrayed in a progression through events, evoking repulsion for her and sympathy for the pitiable husband.
