Gould's Book Of Fish Essay

Sometimes, we can grow so acustomed to personally experiencing our lives, that we easily forget to take into consideration the experiences of those around us. I recently read Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan, and it created in me an appreciation for the subtle humor of life, as well as a tendency to ask questions about what I learn and feel.
I have never been a very sensitive person. From a young age I took things in stride instead of easily getting offended. By the time I entered high school, that had changed. I grew more insecure, and I spent most of my time worrying. However, after reading Gould's Book of Fish, I became enchanted with the titular character, William Gould. Despite his circumstances in a penal colony in Van Diemen's Land, he maintains his sense of humor and complacency. I knew the story was fiction, but I still was inspired by his outlook on his own circumstances. Gould is subjected to numerous punishments at the hands of the warden and guards, yet he still holds a strong sense of humility throughout his internment. Often in the novel, his humor goes beyond …show more content…
At the climax of the novel, Gould learns that the archived history of his penal colony is entirely fictional. The discovery that all written records at the prison are false ultimately drives Gould to escape, fearing that the world will not remember him and his fellow prisoners as they truly were. When I began high school, I took everything I had ever read for granted. I simply assumed that every story I was told was true. Gould's discovery of the fraudulent records challenged my deep, unconscious tendency to believe what I read without wondering where that information came from. In the months since I finished reading Gould's Book of Fish, I have become more inquisitive, reading and rereading in an effort to reevaluate many of my beliefs: ethical, political, and