# III: Poaching explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Aleksandr Kuprin.

## What happens

The narrator joins a clandestine fishing expedition in Balaklava Bay, using illegal difans nets to catch mullets driven in by dolphins. After a successful haul, the group returns to the coffeehouse, where they play a disorientation game and share knowing glances about their shared transgression.

## Themes in this chapter

### Nature and the Sublime

The phosphorescent sea, the dolphins' hunt, and the 'magic splendor' of the night evoke awe and the overwhelming power of the natural world.

### Human Observation and Psychology

The narrator keenly observes the fishermen's behaviors, the thrill of the poaching, and the shared guilt and camaraderie in the coffeehouse.

## Character check-ins

### Yani Lipiadi

The head of the fishing crew and the narrator's teacher; he expertly handles the nets and leads the poaching operation.

### Yura Paratino

A participant in the coffeehouse game who consistently points north with uncanny accuracy.

## Key lines

> the entire sea is ablaze with fire. Pale-blue jewels shimmer on the tops of small, scarcely rippling wavelets. Where the oars touch the water, deep, gleaming bands flame up in magic splendor.

The sea glows with bioluminescence, each wavelet tipped with blue light, and the oars stir up brilliant, fiery streaks.

_Describes the mesmerizing phosphorescence of the water during the night fishing._

> I dip my hand into the sea, and when I draw it out a handful of shimmering diamonds drips into the water, and for a long time delicate, bluish phosphoric lights glow on my fingers.

When I plunge my hand into the sea, it emerges covered in sparkling droplets that leave a lingering blue glow on my skin.

_Highlights the tactile and visual wonder of the phosphorescent organisms._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters/iii-poaching
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_se/chapters