The Rainbow Fish                 By: Marcus Pfister

Plot Overview

A multi-colored fish breaks off his scales to share with his jealous acquaintances in hopes of acceptance.

Analysis of Major Character(s)

Rainbow Fish is the central character of the story.  His peers characterize him as the rainbow fish because of his shiny scales and colorful exterior, although the book only mentions scales of blue, green, and purple. There is no mention of his age, but it can be assumed that he is in adolescence because of his exceptional concern with other’s opinions and his extreme unwillingness to share his scales of beauty. Rainbow Fish is an alienated character because of his splendor and the other fish reject him because he refuses to break off his shiny scales and share give them away. Although no past is revealed, he seems to have a troubled childhood as he seems to possess some anger control problems or at least a pompous attitude (more later on his change of erratic behavior).

Summary and Analysis

Summary- Pages 1-8

Rainbow Fish is established as the most beautiful fish in the sea and refuses to play among his other peers when invited. A smaller fish asked for one of his shiny scales, but Rainbow Fish rejects him and now every fish disregards him.

Analysis- Pages 1-8

Obviously Rainbow Fish is arrogant when it is revealed he is the most gorgeous fish in the sea, but the book suggests this information is also common knowledge, so is it really his fault that he believes he is dazzling? The other fish show their regard and reverence for him as they admire his beauty, but Rainbow Fish is the one who shows his patronizing attitude when he refuses to play with the others at their request to take part in fishy past times. It is this that leaves him abandoned, clearly an allusion to the Bible’s story of Joseph and the colored coat that his brothers that were jealous of; but in that story Joseph is thrown into a pit while Rainbow Fish is simply ignored.

Summary- Pages 9-16

Rainbow Fish, feeling lost and alone confides in a starfish, who advises him to go see the wise octopus. Once there, Rainbow Fish is confronted with his selfishness and the wise octopus instructs him to give away his most prize possession: his scales.

            Analysis- Pages 9-16

Once Rainbow Fish fully realizes he is nothing without his admirers, he rants about his predicament to a starfish looking for a way to obtain his former glory and reverence he formerly achieved just with his appearance.  The starfish serves as a reference to Virgil in Dante’s Divine Comedy leading the way to truth when he telling him about the wise octopus. And of course the wise octopus herself is the God figure in the book, enlightening Rainbow Fish to the perils of his ways and shows that he is the has been selfish bu not sharing his scales and explaining that the only way to reach happiness is to give his scales away. Rainbow Fish first refuses the idea all together and believes that he above such distribution. He contradicts the octopus’ thoughts and says he could never be happy without his scales.

Summary- Pages 17-24

Rainbow Fish is still reluctant to give his scales but relents when a little blue fish asks. Then as the other fish swarm around him, he breaks off his scales and distributes them all around and he claims to finally feel at home and plays with the other fish.

Analysis- Pages 17-24

Even when Rainbow Fish does give away his first scale to the little blue fish, it is said that it is the absolute smallest scales that Rainbow Fish could give away. He is showing that he is slowly moving towards sharing, but as the little fish goes off and flashes his scale around, the others see it’s shimmer. But after they are done marveling in its beauty they mob around him, although it is never said whether they asked for scales, it is just mentioned that everyone wanted one. Even though it does seem like everyone is thinking just about themselves, Rainbow Fish does say that he is the happiest when he blends in, which means that he is humble enough to be ‘among the people’ yet not brave enough to be a legend and stand out above others. But at least he finally socializes and the book mentions the other fish as his friends.

Suggested Essay Topics

1. Is it Rainbow Fish’s fault that he is represented as a selfish character?
2. What other female guides does the wise octopus represent to you in literature?
3. How do the book’s German origins help to shape the themes and characters?