BAUTISTA JASMINE KAYE P.

BSEDEN4-1

The short story "Blowfish" effectively conveys emotional depth through vivid imagery. The
Blowfish could potentially end the family's hungriness, because it carries a poison and that’s what the
father wants in the story.
In the line "It had been excruciatingly difficult for him, all alone, to pull the family through from
last winter to early spring. Now, all that was left was hunger" Irony is seen, the fact that the family is still
facing hunger despite the father’s efforts and sacrifices.
In this line, the phrase "they all jumped for joy, as if he were an angel" is metaphorical. It’s just
that, his family was overjoyed that he came home with full basket. Their happiness is reflected in the
comparison to an angel because all they are able to imagine is getting to eat this time around. The line
explains the family's desperate situation and extreme hunger, making the blowfish an important matter
without knowing anything about the poisonous effect of it. The fact that the kids views their Pop as a
saviour who has provided them with food during a time of need further explains his love and trust for
them.
The emotional difficulty the father faces is highlighted in this line. When he came back home, he
saw the glistening eyes of his children waiting outside and thought “Why not dead yet?”. In his question,
he doesn't mean to want his family to die, it’s just his inner thoughts running in his mind that he had
originally planned to end his family’s life, which he didn’t want to happen but what can he do? He has no
choice and options left behind if he wants to end his family’s suffering. Their bond with his family and his
wish to put an end to their family's suffering make it challenging for him to carry out his plan because of
what we humans call, love.
In the line, "Why is it so hard even to ask for death?" The act of wanting death, especially of his
own family, goes against his thoughts for their survival, despite his personal emotional pain and the
challenging situation their family is in, his deep sadness results from this internal struggle between his
want to put an end to their suffering and the wish to wake up again tomorrow to make a living and survive
again.
Irony is demonstrated throughout the story by showing that the blowfish had been prepared for so
long that the poison had disappeared, making it safe for eating. This occurrence resolves the crisis
between the father's initial plan to end their family's misery. It just show as a reminder of how unstable
life can be and how his decisions could have unwanted consequences. In the end of the story, the blowfish
changes from being a representation of death to one of life and survival.