Fish of Cloudstreet

Fish Lamb is the seemingly retarded but yet whose soul is the poetic, all- knowing narrator of the story.

Before this accident Samsonfish/ Fish was well- known all over town as a ‘lovable, bright cheeky, witty and handsome boy’. Anyone would forgive him for any mischief he caused. Everyone loved Fish.

Fish Lamb’s soul becomes separated from his body whilst in a boating accident. Fish Lamb’s body and spirit had succumbed to death when Oriel resurrected Fish to his body and he remains hopeless and childlike on earth.

His soul guides Fish on his role of bringing the two families in Cloudstreet together. Despite his disability, Fish is the most connected to spiritual aspects of human existence, as evidenced through his capacity of communicating with the spirits of the dead of the house. He is also connected to the natural world; his talking to the pig; and his connection and fascination with ‘the beautiful; the beautiful; the river’. (2) Because Fish is between life an...