Short Summary: The Fish Image

The fish image is a reflection of her and her ethnic background, “reservation girl.” In other words, it is a projection of herself. Throughout the story, she express her feelings and circumstances indirectly such as, “like a dead fish on a gaff.” Also, from the other sign, “When a fish slips off the line,” suggests that the fish image represent her faith. Marie, just like other Sisters, should respect the Catholicism in her Catholic faith, because she has believed that Catholicism is rooted in faith.
Throughout the story, “fish” is the one of the foods such “sticks of dried fruit, jars of orange peel.” However, fish has more significant meaning, because it is a contrast to the things that hard to get such as goat-milk cheese and the sausage.
The fish stands in contrast to her aspiring. For example, “the sausage form a special cupboard” which is for “the Sisters” who are non-Indians.