Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
"Fish out of water"; "fresh off the boat"; Mrs. Sen's a new immigrant from India who can't get used to America.
The fresh fish aren't just a simple metaphor for Mrs. Sen's Indian-ness. They also give Mrs. Sen a reason to get out of the house and be social with Americans. As a result, she gets to know the fish monger really well—enough so that he reserves fish for her and calls her up to let her know when her fish are in. It's the fish that are her undoing, though, when she gets into a car accident on her way to buy them. (MS 121-126).