Effects of Tall Tales in Big Fish

Tim Burton’s Big Fish had elements of folktale, fairy tale, and legend: which creates a conflict between Edward and his son Will. Like any good parent, Edward Bloom tells his son bed time stories about past experiences from his life that intrigues his son. Even after Will’s childhood his dad continues to tell these stories throughout his life and eventually Will feels he doesn’t know any truth about his father until he is on his death bed. The conflict between Will and his father begins with one of Edward’s many folktales the he tells throughout the story. In Edward’s hometown of Ashton he tells how he coaxed a giant fifteen feet tall into being civil and actually becoming one of his good friends. The giant came to town one day and was eating many people’s crops and live stock. Edward volunteered to talk to this giant and convinced him that he wasn’t too big, this town was just too small; and he agreed to go to the city with Edward. This is the first of many tall-tales that will irritate Will and symbolizes the start of the rising action. Adding to the rising action is another fairy tale that Edward often tells about Spectre. Spectre is an ideal society that Edward Bloom stumbles upon when he explores a short-cut on his way to the city. There are many people there including a famous poet that Edward meets there. There are no troubles or worries in this hidden town, but Edward feels the need to leave and find more about himself before he returns back to this place. This scene symbolizes the perfect father and son relationship between Edward and Will. Will feels that his father avoids this relationship by telling absurd stories instead of telling the truth. Throughout Will’s childhood he believed every word of his father’s stories as most young kids do, but as he grew older his father’s stories didn’t stop. Instead they continued, leading to the climax where Will confronts his father on his wedding day about all the unbelievable stories that he continues