Flight Doris Lessing

FLIGHT- DORIS LESSING
1. How does relationship the grandfather, his daughter, and his granddaughter
define the many conflicts in the story?
Granddad doesn't like his granddaughter having a boyfriend. He does not consider
it to be appropriate for a young girl of her age. Moreover, he doesn't want his
granddaughter to get married early because Alice is the last of his granddaughters
and he knows that he will be lonely when she marries Steven. In contrary, his
daughter and granddaughter have is opposite thinking with him. His daughter sees
nothing wrong with Alice is getting married. She herself got married at seventeen
while Alice is a year older. As for Alice, she feels nothing will ever change even if
she got married.
2. How does the writer devote so much attention to a description of the setting-
and especially to the birds? What do the birds symbolize?
The writer devotes so much attention to a description of the setting- and especially
to the birds because the author wants to show us the picture of the loss of freedom.
Firstly, the writer describes "a dovecote with a tall wire-netted shelf on stilts, full of
strutting, preening birds". Then the writer describes the wonderful natural scenery
around “gazing out beyond the dovecote into the landscape of a late afternoon. In
folds and hollows of sunlight and shade, the dark red soil, which was broken into
great dusty clods, stretched wide to a tall horizon. Trees marked the course of the
valley, stream of rich green grass the road”. Both of these contrary descriptions
doesn't only show us that the birds have wings but they can’t fly because they are
locked in the dovecote, but also show us that although the birds are surrounded by
the beautiful views, but they cannot fly around due to loss of freedom. So, the birds
in the story symbolize the loss of freedom, in contrast with their natural instinct.
Besides, the birds also symbolize what the old man loved, like his granddaughter.
3. What is the connection between the first episode involving the old man and his
birds and the last one?
In the first episode, the old man and the birds live happily together. He grasps his
favorite bird, a homing pigeon and draws it down, feeling the cold coral claws
tighten around his finger, then he feels content and he rests the bird lightly on his
chest. However, the fear of losing his favorite bird makes his mood shift. He
deliberately holds out his wrist for the bird to take flight, and catches it again at the
moment it spreads its wings. Moreover, when he feels the plump shape strive and
strain under his fingers, he shuts the bird into a small box and fastens the bolt
because the old man is afraid that his favorite bird will fly away. It also means the
old man fears to lose his granddaughter, Alice, because his favorite bird in this
story symbolizes for Alice. Alice is his last granddaughter and she is going to
marry to Steven next month. It means she will leave home soon and leave the old
man alone in his house. In the last episode, after receiving a young pigeon from
Steven, the old man holds the new bird to his face. Then he lets his favorite bird fly
away. At last, he realizes that Steven and Alice still pay attention to him, they don’t
forget him and leave him alone, which makes him feel comfortable because he
understands that Steven and Alice still take care of him. Finally, the old man agrees
his granddaughter to get married at the end of the story. The connection between
the first and the last episode is the old man wants to keep his favorite bird, and he
learns to let go of his favorite bird at the end. In other words, the old man changes
his mind from keeping Alice by his side at the beginning and letting Alice get
married to Steven at the end of the story.
4. Explain the man’s reaction at the end of the story? Why does he smile at his
granddaughter?
At the end of the story, the old man turns slowly, taking his time, he lifts his eyes to
smile proudly down the garden at his granddaughter. The old man’s reaction at the
end of the story shows that the old man finally agrees to let his granddaughter
marry Steven and he finally accepts that his granddaughter already grows up and
has to get married because this is the rule of nature. He understands that Alice can’t
live with him forever and she needs to leave home to have her own family. The old
man smiles at his granddaughter because he knows that even Alice get married to
Steven, she still cares for him, and doesn’t leave him alone. He feels satisfied with
that.
5. How could you understand the meaning of Alice’s tears?

After seeing her grandfather let all the birds go, Alice is standing with her
grandfather. She doesn’t smile, she is wide eyed and pale in cold shadow, and the
tears run shivering off her face. Alice’s tears at the end of the story is happy tears
because she knows her grandfather at last doesn’t object to the relationship between
her and Steven and he totally agrees with her to marrying Steven. Besides, Alice
also loves grandfather so much and she realized finally, why her grandfather is so
upset.
6. The tension between the old man and the young couple seem to melt away
when they offer him the gift. It is because the old man loves his pets so much
that he turns out to be tolerant to them or is it because these is any other
reason?
The tension between the old man and the young couple seems to melt away when
they offer him a gift, a new young pigeon. A young pigeon that Steven gives to the
old man represents the attention of Alice and Steven to him. The pigeon is a kind of
his most favorite bird, so giving a young pigeon as a present to the old man proves
that Alice and Steven notice and pay attention to him and they know what the old
man likes and loves. It also demonstrates that the young couple still cares for him
and they don’t leave him alone because they give him a right present. Thus, the
action of giving the old man a new young pigeon, his favorite bird, makes him feel
comfortable and makes him understand that Alice and Steven don’t leave him
alone, they still care for him. Moreover, he realized that Alice can’t live with him
forever, they grow up they become independence people. He must accept this rule
in the nature. So, he tries to see their happiness to feel happy.
7. What do you think is the theme of the story?
I think the theme of the story is freedom and take care of the old in our family.
Through the theme of this short story. We should take care of the old in our family,
especially our grandparents and parents because they often feel lonely and weak.
We should accept that children grow up and get married because this is the rule of
nature. And, they can't live with us forever; they grow up and to have their own
family.

Flight Doris Lessing

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FLIGHT- DORIS LESSING

5. How could you understand the meaning of Alice’s tears?

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