In Amy Tan’s well known novel, Saving Fish From Drowning, the story revolves around Bibi Chen, an arts patron, and her friends, traveling along the Burma Road. As the story begins to take place, Bibi’s mysterious death was seen to have little impact toward her friends when they decided to continue with their traveling plans, but what they didn’t know is that she will accompany them as a ghost. Without Bibi’s leadership as the leader of the group, the group quickly begins to fall apart. During their travel, Bibi witness many mistakes they had made, for example, they had ignored her itinerary and disrespected the Buddha which lead to the tribal chief putting a curse on them. This eventually led them to become abducted by a tribe called, Karen. The Karen tribesmen thought that Rupert, one member of the group, is the descendents of the Younger White Brothers, whom they believe is their savior from their miserable lives and the Burma government. However, the Americans were oblivious of their situation and thought this was one of the tourist sites they will visit. As the story unfold, Tan also focuses her novel on the Burma government and its negative impact on the tribesmen.
Ⅱ. Theme In the novel, Saving Fish From Drowning, Tan focused on the theme how good intentions may lead to bad things happening. As the…show more content… He cracked the shells...and swallowed them like sedatives, wishing he could stop the overwhelming sense of dread…” (121). This quotation is important because it shows Bibi’s observant characteristics and how her being a ghost allows her to discover the feelings and truths hidden behind others. For Bibi, who had accepted her death quickly and adapted to her situation, this quotation shows how she is acknowledging the mistakes her friends are making and helps the reader understands the situation
