The bluefish symbolizes Travis’s self-concept and his relationship with literacy, both of which shift throughout the novel. At Travis’s old school, he was in a special reading group called “bluefish” for kids who needed extra help. Consequently, he was bullied and called a “bluefish,” which was meant to make him feel stupid. Travis internalized the idea that he was stupid and became resistant to learning to read and to academics and school in general. At first, the bluefish is a very negative symbol for Travis because it reminds him of his perceived shortcomings and his belief that he’ll never overcome them.

At the end of the book, Travis’s new friends Velveeta and Bradley help him recast the bluefish into something positive. By this point, Travis has already made significant progress toward his goal of learning to read and has gained confidence in his own intelligence thanks to his teachers, friends, and self. Velveeta and Bradley feel like the bluefish is not stupid but is cool, nonconformist, creative, and interesting, albeit different from one fish, two fish, and redfish. This helps Travis overcome his aversion to the bluefish and overcome his belief that he is stupid or incapable. Instead, he embraces his identity as an intelligent individual who is nonetheless different from “normal” kids.