Showing posts with label Amy Tan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amy Tan. Show all posts

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan


The following is the epigraph at the beginning of Amy Tan's marvelous new novel, Saving Fish From Drowning:

A pious man explained to his followers: "It is evil to take lives and noble to save them. Each day I pledge to save a hundred lives. I drop my net in the lake and scoop out a hundred fishes. I place the fishes on the bank, where they flop and twirl. 'Don't be scared,' I tell those fishes. 'I am saving you from drowning.' Soon enough, the fishes grow calm and lie still. Yet, sad to say, I am always too late. The fishes expire. And because it is evil to waste anything, I take those dead fishes to market and I sell them for a good price. With the money I receive, I buy more nets so I can save more fishes." - Anonymous

Half the fun of the novel is figuring out how this quote relates to the plot. Hint: Think Buddha.

The answer

theteach