The Bass The River And Sheila Mant Summary

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The theme of the short story “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” by W.D. Wetherell is that some things just aren't meant to be, and sometimes it's better to move on. In the story it says, “Sheila was the middle daughter- at seventeen- all but out of reach.” (Wetherell 1). This shows that at the beginning of the story he doesn't think that he would ever have a chance with her, as he even refers to her as “out of reach”. Since he doesn't believe that there's a chance, this was a sign that it was better to move on from her, which if he did, he would've undoubtedly avoided being hurt in the end. In addition to this, in the text it says, “ “I think fishing’s dumb,” she said, making a face. “I mean, it's boring and all. Definitely dumb.” Now …show more content…
Even while knowing this, the boy doesn't give up on pursuing her, and would much rather try to come off as “cool” and impress Sheila, than having her know that he likes to fish. Besides, he adds onto this idea and says that she had “severe and unforgiving eyes”, which isn't something that's commonly looked for in a romantic partner. Even he knows that she's harsh and callous, yet still, admires her. Lastly, it states “all I really remember is her coming over to me once the music was done to explain that she would be going home in Eric Caswell’s Corvette.” (Wetherell 4). This proves that she was never interested in him to begin with, and he was too blind to see that until this occurred. At the end of their date, she went home with a different guy, which definitely wasn't a delightful sign. Ultimately, the boy in this story learns his lesson. He explains in the final paragraph that doing so much for this girl to have nothing in return was a mistake and that he overall learned from the whole thing that there would be other fish in the sea. In conclusion, “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” teaches us that if things aren't meant to be, we should accept it and move
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Summary Of The Bass The River And Sheila Mant

D. Wetherell’s coming-of-age short story “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” recounts the adolescent struggles of a teenage boy during a memorable vacation on the Connecticut River in the 1960s. An avid fisherman, the innocent and naïve fourteen-year-old finds his feelings torn between a beautiful girl and an elusive bass. Upon reflection of that haunting summer, the protagonist, regretful of his decision to conceal his passion to win over Sheila, illustrates the author’s theme of staying true…

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The Bass The River And Sheila Mant Summary

In the story “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant”, the author conveys that you shouldn’t change yourself to impress others through the use of a bass. The first time that this is conveyed in the story is when the main character and Sheila first get into the boat. She tells the main character that she thinks that “fishing is dumb” and “I mean it’s boring and all. Definitely dumb.” This makes the main character then realize that he has fishing equipment in the canoe with them and she cannot notice…

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