Qfwfq Character Analysis

Thesis: In "The Aquatic Uncle", Qfwfq in influenced by everyone around him that being a land animal is superior to being a fish until the end where he finally uses his own mind to define whether or not land animals are superior.

     Qfwfq is influenced by his family to think that land animals are more superior to fish. At the beginning of the story, Qfwfq states that he had evolved from a fish and that being a land animal is better than being a fish. When he evolved into a land animal, his family was changing with him as well. They influenced him to believe that this evolution was for the better of their family and become higher in superiority. He even describes that there were many animals evolving further than they were: "There might be a family that had bee living on land, say, for several generations, whose young people acted n a way that wasn't even amphibious but almost reptilian already..." (71). When he talks about evolving into a higher species, he almost idolizes those who become reptile. The fact that there were already so many advancements from fish, Qfwfq thought that fish were the least advanced animals of them all. Qfwfq describes a time when his family showed their thoughts and opinions when he talks about his great uncle. Qfwfq and his family are trying to convince their great uncle N'ba N'ga to get out of the water and become a land animal with them and the family is having a contest on who can get their great uncle out of the water first. Qfwfq describes a specific scene in which he talks about the power that the relative would have if he got the great uncle to go on land. Because then, they're whole family would be great: "On this score, the rivalry among the various branches of the family never died out, he would achieve a position of pre-eminence over the rest of our relatives," (73). Here, Qfwfq talks about how his whole family is evolved. He demonstrates to the reader that if his whole family were on land, they would also be superior to others. Qfwfq proves himself to be a follower of his family's opinions on land animals. There is also another character who further influences Qfwfq even more strongly.
     Qfwfq's other great influence in his life is his love for his fiancée, Lll. Lll is described to be one of the few land animals who are evolving into reptiles and had families on land for generations already. Later in the story, Qfwfq decides to bring Lll to meet his great uncle, but he rejects the idea and describes his feeling of how embarrassed he is of his great uncle: "I hadn't yet dared tell Lll that my great-uncle was a fish." (75). Qfwfq had fallen in love with her because he adores her and respects her. He feels inferior towards her because she is so perfect in his eyes. He believes that she is the promise and the perfect image of something he would like to evolve into: "In her I saw the perfect definitive form, born from the conquest of the land that had emerged she was the sum of the new boundless possibility that had opened. How could my great-uncle try to deny the incarnate reality of Lll?" (78).  Here, Qfwfq thinks to himself why his great uncle would not idolize Lll like he does because she seems like a beautiful, holy being who is much more superior than him and his great uncle. This section proves that Qfwfq is blinded by his love and admiration for Lll.
     Toward the end of the story after Lll leaves him, Qfwfq begins to break away from all the influence he had on his opinions and thinkings. He begins to realize that there are many others greater than Lll and that he should accept who he is instead of wanting to evolve into something more. When Lll decides to become a fish an marry great uncle N'ba N'ga, Qfwfq is left in the world on his own. Although he is lonely he soon realizes that there are still higher evolved species than Lll. Yet, he still cannot let go of the thought that he is inferior to them in some way: "Every now and then, among the many forms of living beings, I encountered one who 'was somebody' more than I was..." (81). Although he sees others a superior species to him, Qfwfq no long strives to be like them. In this quote, he talks with no envy, but with a matter-of-fact tone. He is now narrating like he is content with who he is and well not change himself simply to be a "superior" species. Qfwfq finally learns to be himself and to accept who he is.