Reflection essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Reflection - Essay Example The story is about how one needs to move on in life, to be more specific, how one need to adapt to changes that come their way. And Christopher did not want to change the way things were. A story based on symbolism, it focuses on the adaptations one needs to pursue in life. Symbolism is the use of language in order to give away two or more meanings; using things to depict real life situations. In â€Å"Christopher, the fisherman† the readers can observe the details about the river and the protagonists attachment with it. He finds the river inspirational and treats it as a living being. As a matter of fact, the symbolism is used to show how even nature changes itself or its course to a new thing that comes along the way. For e.g.: â€Å"The salmon’s migration had ceased, and it had become extinct in the river because its habitat had been destroyed.† (Page 649) This event was rather difficult for Christopher, as his sole means of living were gone, but it surely sho ws how even fish change their course when their habitat was gone. They left the place to live somewhere else. The story progresses with how each generation of farmers prospered with their way of fishing styles and their area of expertise regarding Salmon. The â€Å"Christopher’s† as they might be termed, were extremely satisfied with their lives: a simple, small hut, fishing for a living, and living far in the farms in isolation. The fisherman wanted no change and he wished for nothing either. But as time progressed, industrialization started to take place. This meant that the huge acres of farm land were being used to construct power stations, factories and what not. The forests were being cut down, as the wood was needed in the construction as well as raw materials to the factories. This caused great despair to Christopher, and he wanted nothing else but the fact that his river, which his family used for fishing, and his fishing rights remain with him. Slowly, the in evitable happened, and the power station required a wall to be built in the river. Christopher remained in denial and he wasn’t ready to accept this proposal at all: â€Å"They could not build, never, he thought calmly; I have my rights, I and my son† (Page 648) This shows the real theme of the story, which is failing to accept and adapt to changes in life. The river is the greatest use of symbolism in this story. Rivers in general are stubborn and do not change course easily unless they are forced to. A river can flow smoothly for centuries without any changes, but once a dam or a reservoir is built in it, it has to change its course. Just like the river Christopher was also forced to change his lifestyle and adapt to the industrialization that was taking place. â€Å"Even before he set foot in the hut, he went to the village and bought a vineyard located by the rich fishing grounds, along with a small house that stood guard over the vines.† (Page 652) Finally after a lot of resistance, stubbornness and a personal quest, Christopher realized that he could not stop what was happening but he could take matters in his hand and act maturely. His long journey to the city made him realize that development was something that was bound to happen and nobody can stop that. But he could stop the misery of his family. So he came back and shifted to a place he liked and left the place that belonged to his family for generations. This short story is a commendable read. The reader will easily understand the literary elements that the writer has tried to portray, symbolism being one of them. The use of nature to explain a man’s mistake, who is fighting for nature itself is a rather brilliant approach. Everything and everyone needs to change, no matter what. It is inevitable and a