Blowfish Live in the Sea by Paula Fox

First published: 1970

Type of work: Domestic realism

Themes: Coming-of-age and emotions

Time of work: The 1960’s

Recommended Ages: 13-15

Locale: New York City and Boston

Principal Characters:

• Carrie, a thirteen-year-old girl from whose viewpoint the story is told
• Ben, her nineteen-year-old stepbrother, who is embittered by his father’s estrangement
• Mr. Felix, Ben’s father, who has neglected his son for many years
• Carrie’s Parents, who, though upset by Ben’s rebellious behavior, try to be understanding

The Story

Blowfish Live in the Sea begins with thirteen-year-old Carrie’s observation of stepbrother Ben’s preoccupation with the phrase, “Blowfish live in the sea.” Ben writes it on everything—matchbook covers, dust on the windows, and bags from the supermarket. Carrie reveals her love and concern for Ben, who is six years older than she. Carrie wishes that they had the same father. She wonders about Ben’s real father, who lives out west somewhere and who fails to stay in touch with his son. Ben promptly ends any conversation about his father. Carrie is too embarrassed to satisfy her curiosity about Ben’s father by asking her mother about him. As the story unfolds, Carrie often serves as buffer between her parents and Ben. Her father, for example, asks her to talk to Ben about a strip of rawhide Ben has taken to wearing to tie back his long hair.

Ben has become quiet and detached from the family. He has dropped out of school and no longer brings friends over or does his chores around the house. He has even stopped arguing with Carrie and looks tired and disappears when his parents try to question him. Things change suddenly when a letter arrives from Ben’s father, Mr. Felix, asking Ben to come to Boston for the weekend to visit; the letter says he cannot wait to see his son. Ben’s insecurity about seeing his father is revealed when he asks Carrie to accompany him to Boston. The reader senses Ben’s nervousness about meeting his father alone after so many years.

Carrie is happy that Ben wants her to go to Boston with him but is also aware of her parents’ apprehensiveness about the visit. The two ride in the back of the bus on the long, bumpy ride to Boston. The hotel where the meeting is to take place is on a narrow, dirty street near the bus station. Ben and Carrie locate the room where Mr. Felix is supposed to be staying, but no one is there. A message left for Ben informs them that an emergency at “the ranch in Arizona” has forced Ben’s father to leave town early. He promises, however, that he and Ben will get together very soon. Ben has a feeling that his father has not really gone back to Arizona. They return to the hotel later to find his suspicions confirmed. Ben’s father turns out to be a small, strange-looking man who is not quite sober. He tells Ben of his apprehension about seeing him after so many years. Ben and Carrie have dinner with Mr. Felix and spend the night at the hotel.

The story ends with Ben’s decision to stay with his father and help him restore a seedy hotel he owns. Carrie returns to New York alone to adjust to a life without her big brother. The reader discovers at the conclusion of the story the key to Ben’s strange behavior, which was indicated at the very beginning. His father had once sent him a package containing a dried blowfish and had told Ben that the blowfish was one he had found in the Amazon River. Later, Ben learned that blowfish only live in the sea (in salt water). Writing the statement “Blowfish live in the sea” was Ben’s way of dealing with his feelings of resentment toward his father. The reader is left with a feeling of closure in discovering this connection.

Context

In Blowfish Live in the Sea, Paula Fox contrasts family tension with tender concern in a writing style that is highly readable. The dialogue is realistic and concise in its depiction of the intricacies of a family’s relationships. The author has written fourteen books for young adults and is the author of two adult novels. All of her books for adolescents deal with children who are set apart in some way from the adult world. Her books center on basic needs of adolescents and are written in such a way that readers gain insights into their own personal problems and social relationships. Some of the characters in Fox’s books include Maurice in Maurice’s Room (1966), an only child who must deal with his family’s move to the country; Lewis in A Likely Place (1967), who is tired of the adults in his life who are always trying to improve him; and Ned in The One-Eyed Cat (1984), who must resolve his guilt in a shooting accident. In How Many Miles to Babylon (1967), a black youngster is persecuted by an older gang of boys, and in The Stone-Faced Boy (1968), a shy and withdrawn child hides his feelings behind an impassive face. A lonely boy named Ivan establishes a friendship with the artist who is painting his portrait in Portrait of Ivan (1969); through this friendship, Ivan gains the confidence needed to approach his remote father.

Paula Fox received the Hans Christian Andersen International Medal in 1978 as well as the highly prized Newbery Medal in 1974 for The Slave Dancer. This historical novel recounts the tragedy of the slave trade as seen by a white street musician who plays while the slaves are “danced” for exercise. In a subtle and sympathetic style, she portrays children who work through their problems and in so doing develop character and maturity. Paula Fox’s contributions to the field of children’s literature have made her a longtime favorite with her readers.