Author: Patricia

Brief Biography

The Epiphany

Elizabeth Bishop was born in Massachusetts in 1911. She was a keen fisher woman. She struggled with her sexuality, depression and alcoholism problems.

Bishop realises that she does not need to communicate with the fish, does not need to stare or relate to him. She is awed by his age and the evidence of his previous battles and realises he is no different to herself. He has struggled to survive in a world that can be incredibly hostile and is now tired, too tired to fight anymore.

Everything is transformed; even the rusty, ancient boat is ‘filled with victory’. The victory is Bishops catching off the fish, and the fish’s is for winning all his previous battles. She lets him go; he is literally ‘off the hook’.

The Fishes Appearance

The fish is ‘grunting’ and worn or damaged ‘battered’ in appearance.
The word ‘venerable’ tells us the fish is aged looking and worthy of reference.
Its skin is brown and it hangs off him ‘in strips’ much like wall paper.

The Five hooks in the fishes jaw

While examine the fish she notices there is ‘Five hooks’ lodged in the fishes ‘lower lip’. These hooks have been lodged here for some time and have ‘grown firmly into his mouth,.
Attached to the hooks are pieces of lime and wire that would have once connected to the hooks of the rod. The hooks with their ragged lines and wire are like ‘medals with their ribbons/ frayed and wearing’. The five hooks that hang from the hooks resemble ‘a five haired beard of wisdom, trailing from his aching mouth’.

In my opinion this also resembles Elizabeth's own life as she has been depressed and has had struggles with alcohol. She notices how the fish has escaped been caught five times as it fought its way through as she did so with her depression and alcohol problems.