Who Holds the Fang?

Author: Kyoka

Advanced Academic English I, 2025

Permission granted for publication in August 2025

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It was around the time I had just entered junior high school. Reading “To Build A Fire” brought back a memory, our family trip to Okinawa. I remember we stayed at a rather nice hotel with a view of the ocean. It even had a private beach. 

That day, we decided to try some light snorkeling on the beach. I was good at swimming, and my dad was watching over my little brother, so I was allowed to explore freely within his line of sight. I saw lots of fish. They all shimmered in the sunlight, their delicate fins swaying beautifully in the water. I remember feeling a bit jealous of how effortlessly graceful they were.

Among them was one slightly larger fish that kept following me. I named it "Bucchan," started to think of her as a friend, and grew quite fond of her. Bucchan was stunning, with three vivid lines running along her side. Sometimes she made clicking noises, almost like we were having a conversation.

About a week later, after we returned home, I got curious and looked up what kind of fish Bucchan was. It turns out that she was a triggerfish—more specifically, a Titan Triggerfish. It’s said to be one of the most aggressive fish when snorkeling, notorious for fiercely guarding its territory, especially during nesting season. It emits warning clicks and then chases away intruders relentlessly, biting with sharp teeth strong enough to crush coral and shells. I couldn’t help but shiver. Getting bitten by that kind of creature wouldn’t just leave a mark—it could be dangerous. The larger ones are usually female, and in the summer breeding season, they become even more violent while protecting their eggs. While I thought we were friends, Bucchan was just angry and trying to scare me off.

I guess both the protagonist of “To Build A Fire,” and I were equally ignorant of the threat nature can pose. He didn’t understand how deadly the cold could be, and I didn’t realize the ocean could hide fangs behind its beauty. I believed a warning sign was an expression of affection. But Bucchan wasn’t to blame. The one at fault was me—for assuming she had no fangs, for misunderstanding her behavior, for acting carelessly. Bucchan was doing her best to survive, and when a much larger creature like me came close, she followed her instincts and tried to ward me off. If a giant twice my size approached my child while she was asleep, I’d probably risk everything to stand on my ground too. So, the real problem was my interpretation—my belief that nature would always be gentle if I meant no harm. Humans tend to see nature only in ways convenient to themselves. 

This made me think that humans also pose a threat to other living creatures. Not long ago, we stayed at that same hotel in Okinawa again. I swam in the sea, feeling both excitement and fear—but Bucchan was no longer there. Due to global warming, the coral had bleached and died. Nature can harm humans, but the reverse is also true. And it’s not just climate change. As seen in “Tune of the Tuna Fish.”, industrial waste dumped by humans affects not only us, but also the fish and other marine life. It feels wrong when the tuna is portrayed as the villain. If humans are getting sick, how can fish be unaffected? The truth is, they have no way to speak up to the ones causing the damage. They remain silent, suffering beneath the surface.

At our core, we are fundamentally incompatible. And yet—I still can’t forget it. The beauty of the coral I saw that day, the sea glittering like it was filled with jewels. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. James Wright once wrote of a brief encounter between a man and a donkey. Pattiann Rogers described a forest and the vibrant lives within it after watching it for a whole day. Like them, we all carry memories of nature in our hearts. And we must not be the ones to kill those memories with our own hands. 

(696 words)

MLA Works Cited: 

• London, Jack. “To Build A Fire.” Literature and the Environment, 2nd ed., edited by Lorraine Anderson et al., Pearson, 2013, pp. 26-36.

• Rogers, Pattiann. “Knot.” Literature and the Environment, 2nd ed., edited by Lorraine Anderson et al., Pearson, 2013, pp. 256-9.

• Steingraber, Sandra. “Tune of the Tuna Fish.” Literature and the Environment, 2nd ed., edited by Lorraine Anderson et al., Pearson, 2013, pp. 178-83.

• Wright, James. “A Blessing.” Literature and the Environment, 2nd ed., edited by Lorraine Anderson et al., Pearson, 2013, pp. 142-3.