Overcoming Obstacles In 'God Is Not A Fish Inspector'

Overcoming obstacles means to propel past hardships and pursue desires. When people are faced with hardship it can be the most glorious relief to achieve goal(s), on the other hand, it can cause a detrimental feeling of unsuccessfulness. When people are faced with obstacles they can have one of two reactions it can motivate them or destroy them. For the people it motivates, it can be the factor that gets them out of bed in the morning. For the people it destroys. it can leave them hopeless and lost. Overcoming obstacles can shape people’s character and make them fervent towards their desires or this can have a negative impact. In the short story “God Is Not a Fish Inspector “W.D Valgardson exemplifies how people react to hardship. Some people let obstacles destroy them while others use obstacles as motivation. The moment people lose their drive and motivation towards these impediments, people have no ambition to keep going. Fusi has to combat his old age, opposition with the fish inspectors, and his many conflicts with his daughter Emma and her husband John Smith.

Fusi’s old age is a hardship he battles which he must overcome. Fusi refuses to give in to the stereotypes faced by most elders his age. He struggles to come to terms with his age and does not consume a regular diet that most seniors his age usually have “drinking a cup of coffee mixed half and half with whiskey” (43). Through his mental struggle regarding his age he experiences physical pain multiple times “holding his leg rigid to ease the pain” (46) while Fusi is walking towards the boat he struggles with an immense amount of pain in his leg.“Bent shingle- nail twisted and turned in his shoulder socket” (46) he experiences discomforts when he is rowing his boat and hauling the fish in his net. Though he has terrible pains he chooses to ignore them and keep going as he has to get back to his controlling daughter, Emma. He is treated differently because of his age most notedly by his daughter constantly demands him to stay home which eventually leads to a secret revealed “They’ve been watching you every morning just in case you should get into trouble and need help” (54) Emma reveals the fish inspectors have been watching him in case he should need help. The result of his old age is that he is thought of as any regular senior needing constant attention and care which does not seem to be the case for Fusi. He is independent and well looked after on his own. In addition to Fusi’s struggle with his old age, Fusi battles his daughter and her husband, Emma and John Smith. Emma has been very controlling over Fusi’s life choices aswell she has been trying to prevent Fusi from fishing “I've had no sleep since you left” (51) Emma stays awake waiting for Fusi to return from fishing she is worried about Fusi she does not want him to injure himself. Fusi refuses to stop fishing “If you don’t quit breaking the law, something will have to be done” (52) as a result John Smith threatens Fusi that if he does not stop fishing without a license preventative measures will be taken in order to keep Fusi out of trouble. Fusi does not believe their intentions are totally true instead Fusi believes they are only there to be placed in his will “what she really wanted to be sure of was that she got the house” (51) Fusi states Emma and John Smith only moved into his house because when he passed on they would then get his house. Fusi’s most monumental …show more content…
Fusi is so committed to subduing the fish inspectors he rouses at three in the morning “this morning as every morning he had waken at three” (44) as he wakes in the morning he must avoid his daughter Emma and her husband John Smith. Motivated by the fish inspectors he feels young again aswell he is exhilarated by the potential he could be caught but hasn't been as men half his age have been caught “They would take his fish and net away” (49) he explains the consequences he may potentially face if the fish inspectors caught him fishing without a