Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so, what are they and how are they used?
The most obvious symbolism centers around the evolution of generations and their impact on each other and the world. The fish symbolize the old generation, remaining in the homeland. Some of the fish leave earlier than others, causing their genetic line to evolve faster than others. This reflects families immigrating from different countries. Each evolution, a little more of the traditional customs are lost (appearances and abilities change, etc.), and a new culture emerges from those on land. As years go by, each side (though still technically family) becomes unrecognizable from the other. This seems to symbolize emigration to America from the older countries, and the "great melting pot" that we all become a part of.
What connections did you make with the story you read?
A Clockwork Orange is similar to The Aquatic Uncle in some interesting ways. Both of the main characters (Alex and Qfwfq) are part of an evolution and rapidly changing times, yet it seems they both are a bit stuck in their ways. In Clockwork Orange, Alex goes on mindless violent rampages on a regular basis, with no plans for stopping any time soon. At the end, we get a slight glimpse that he may be getting bored with the mischief but he ultimately resolves that even if he does settle down, his children will be more insane and violent than he was. As well, he is supposedly "stripped of his free will" while undergoing the Ludovico torture, like Qfwfq denies himself of the choice to return to the water by closing his mind to his uncle's opinions. In Aquatic Uncle, Qfwfq talks at the end about not being a "somebody" who will bring on the future, he is content in his unchanging ways while at the same time being part of the unstoppable revolution.
What changes would you make to adopt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
If I were to make this story into a movie, there's not a whole lot that would need to be changed. I would make the names easy to pronounce, and the animals would definitely be humanoid in character. I think it would definitely make an interesting short film, with nice aesthetic cinematography to contrast the land and the water. I would definitely shoot it on an island, and perhaps put a little more action in there such as predators seeking out the land fish/lizards and maybe acidification in the oceans to add pros and cons to each area.
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