There are many things left to interpretation in Raymond Carver's story "The Third Thing That Killed My Father Off." The story depicts a mentally and physically challenged person whose only name in the story is Dummy. The content of the story suggests that his handicaps may not be literal. Dummy could be of normal health and IQ, but just has control issues and an obsessive disorder. Before Dummy got the fish, his obsession was work and his control was his wife. After he got the fish, they were all he cared about; he turned the focus of his obsession and control to the fish. When he lost the fish, he started noticing that he had no control of anything, including his wife. He felt he had nothing to live for, so he ended his life and the life of his cheating wife.
             This story relates to present day as well as the past. Many people have different ways of dealing with life. Some people control life and some let life control them. The fish in the story are symbolic of a life changing experience, they where the object of Dummy's obsession and were taken from him which made him loose his mind. Like the fish, many people use someone or something as their focus of obsession. However, when that obsession is gone they lose their minds. They can no longer deal with life because they have no control. People use objects of obsession to avoid all the things about their life they cannot control or change.
             I believe that this story is a good life lesson. People should be content with who they are, because they cannot be someone else. Controlling someone or something does not change who you are as a person. I believe the underling message of the story is; living life obsessing and controlling someone or something could be leading you down a path to nowhere.
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