A Fish and a Wish: Alistair Macleod’s The Boat

Written by Grace Landry

Photo by Craig Cameron on Unsplash 

Here on the East Coast of Canada, winds and waves are all around us. The weather is constantly changing, and cold sloshy winters can be trying; but we have beautiful coastlines. We also have a history of economic hardship and the tough decision of leaving or staying home – both with enduring consequences. Canadian author Alistair MacLeod uses his nostalgic, yet simplistic style to beautifully illustrate the ebb and flow of life on the East Coast. While his tales of fishermen and farmers can resonate with many Atlantic Canadians, his works have been translated into numerous languages and enjoyed in multiple countries. Although regional in theme, his works centre on hardships most of us will experience in life — growing pains, loss, and challenging, but rewarding journeys. Whether you live in a small fishing town or a bustling land-locked city, there are lessons to be learned and memories to be revisited in MacLeod’s works. 

The Boat starts simply. As a child, the narrator liked to go in his father’s fishing boat, as he grew up, he helped fish. As the story continues, there is an evident contrast to the simple fishing town life he is living and the life he went on to lead. This story is about more than a fish and a wish; it is about choosing which wishes to follow and where to cast your line. Each of the narrator's parents stood at opposing ends of the decision - the narrator’s mother highlighting the importance of tradition, and the father encouraging sailing off to new seas. As readers, we encounter a problem we all know very well: you cannot please everybody. 

In the story, each character must make a choice. Often, we are told of the importance of never looking back, but in reality this rarely happens. The narrator vividly relives scenes of fishing as a child, showcasing that even after many years of change, who we were in the past will never leave us. Old pieces of us tend to come up in funny ways, from sayings to memories to dreams. The Boat is  relatable, in a nostalgic way, to the undeniable pluripotency of childhood.  Back then anything was possible and everything was much less complicated. Was the “potential self” the narrator picked the correct one? We will never know the answer, even for ourselves.

The Boat is a story about strife, hardships, and choices; choices similar to those that MacLeod himself had to make in pursuing studies and leaving his coal mining heritage. Weaving together stark, nostalgic imagery, MacLeod outlines the ambivalence of choices: when you decide who you want to become it does not mean pieces of the old you do not linger; we remember our pasts, then link everything together as if it all made sense from the very beginning.