Two Fishermen by Morley Callaghan
"Two Fishermen" by Morley Callaghan is a poignant narrative that explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and moral complexity through the interactions of two central characters: Michael Foster, a young journalist, and K. Smith, a man tasked with carrying out a controversial execution. The story unfolds over two distinct parts, beginning with an evening meeting on a tranquil lake where Foster and Smith engage in a friendly conversation, sharing personal stories and a bottle of drink. This initial camaraderie contrasts sharply with the tension of the following day, after Smith has fulfilled his grim duty.
The aftermath of the execution ignites public outrage, leading to a violent confrontation that underscores the societal reaction to justice and injustice. Foster’s conflicting emotions are highlighted as he grapples with feelings of shame and disloyalty towards Smith, who has become a friend. The lake serves as a backdrop that amplifies the characters’ struggles and the inherent contradictions in their lives, reflecting both peace and turmoil. Callaghan's story utilizes elements of Christian symbolism, while positioning the serene setting against the harsh realities of human behavior, making it a thought-provoking commentary on the complexities of morality and human relationships.
On this Page
Two Fishermen by Morley Callaghan
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1934, as “Who Is My Neighbor?” (collected in Morley Callaghan’s Stories, 1959)
Type of work: Short story
The Work
One of the two fishermen of the title is Michael Foster, a young journalist for a small-town newspaper called the Examiner who wants to work for a metropolitan paper instead. The other fisherman, K. Smith, has come to town to execute the well-liked Tom Delaney, who fought, was hurt by, and killed his wife’s molester.
The story falls into two parts. The first part takes place in the evening; Foster finds Smith, borrows a boat, and rows him out onto the lake. They share a bottle and grow “neighborly.” “Smitty” amusingly talks about his wife and children and then begins to discuss his work, “knowing he ought to be ashamed.” Next day, soon after the execution, the two meet again. Smith, now formally dressed, gives Foster two fish he caught before dawn that morning. An upset crowd approaches and pelts Smith, and a flying rock cuts Smith’s head. The inefficient sheriff intervenes and saves Smith. An irate citizen notices Foster’s fish, grabs them, and hurls them toward Smith. Smith stares at his gift, in the dust; Foster, backing away, feels “hot with shame” for “betraying Smitty.”
This story concerns injustice, friendship’s limits, disloyalty, and the sad separation of work and play. Tom should not be hanged. Foster makes and loses a friend. Smith endures his job partly so he can fish in different places. The serenity of the lake implicitly mocks the characters’ common inhumanity. A bleeding head, betrayal, and fish provide twisted Christian symbolism. When asked to select one of his stories for inclusion in This Is My Best, a 1942 collection of works by famous authors, Callaghan submitted “Two Fishermen.” He might easily have chosen any of a dozen other splendid stories, but he rightly held this one in high regard.
Bibliography
Boire, Gary A. Morley Callaghan: Literary Anarchist. Toronto: ECW Press, 1994.
Callaghan, Barry. Barrelhouse Kings: A Memoir. Toronto: McArthur, 1998.
Conron, Brandon. Morley Callaghan. New York: Twayne, 1966.
Kendle, Judith. “Morley Callaghan.” In The Annotated Bibliography of Canada’s Major Authors, edited by Robert Lecker and Jack David. Downsview, Ont.: ECW Press, 1984.
Nischik, Reingard M., ed. The Canadian Short Story: Interpretations. Rochester, N.Y.: Camden House, 2007.
Pell, Barbara Helen. Faith and Fiction: A Theological Critique of the Narrative Strategies of Hugh MacLennan and Morley Callaghan. Waterloo, Ont.: Published for the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion by Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1998.
Stains, David, ed. The Callaghan Symposium. Ottawa, Ont.: University of Ottawa Press, 1981.
Sutherland, Fraser. The Style of Innocence: A Study of Hemingway and Callaghan. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1972.
Wilson, Edmund. O Canada: An American’s Notes on Canadian Culture. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1965.
Woodcock, George. Moral Predicament: Morley Callaghan’s “More Joy in Heaven.” Toronto: ECW Press, 1993.