Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FLIGHT
Doris Lessing (1919)
Instructor:
Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, M.A. & M.Sc. USSH-VNU-HCMC Email: ndmongha@yahoo.de Mobile phone: 0919694811 Office hours: Monday, Friday afternoon (4-6 p.m) Office of Educational Testing & QA, Block C, DTH Campus
Reference
http://lessing.redmood.com/herlife.htm http://lessing.redmood.com/herbooksalphabetically.htm http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Doris_Lessing.ht m http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/features/women writers/index.shtml www.shunsley.eril.net/armoore/gcse/flight www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Campus/2159/resources.h tm www.dovecotes.co.ok/Gatcombe.htm http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/anthology/flight.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literatu re/proseflight/0prose_flight_contrev3.shtml
Questions
In your own words explain Alice's relationship with her grandfather. How does the old man feel about Alice's marrying? How does he feel about Steven at the start and at the end of the story? Try to explain how the old man comes to accept the inevitability of Alice's marrying. As you read the story, do you identify with the old man, with Alice or some other character?
PLOT SUMMARY
Old man looking after his pigoens Holding the favorite bird, annoyed when seeing grandaughter swinging on the gate in the distance, worries about her Argues with his daughter, Lucy about the behavior Does not approve of Steven, Alices fianc Steven offers him a new pigeon as a gift The old man lets his favourite pigoen out When he looks at Alice, shes crying
Exposition
Introduction of the setting
- Dovecote, outdoors, sunlight (late afternoon)
Conflicts
External Alice >< granddad (old man) Old man >< Daughter, Lucy Never regretted >< should regret (different viewpoints) Internal (inner feelings)
Keep >< let go Accept the natural reality >< deny the reality, the truth Young, charming, petulant, spoiled children>< serios young matrons Weird mood, eccentric behaviors Feels hurt and his pride is wounded when everyone is against him
Climax
Getting the news of marriage next month: greatly shocked
CHARACTERS
1. 2. 3. 4. Old man, grandfather (unnamed): main Granddaughter, Alice Alices boyfriend/fiance, Steven Mother, Lucy
Grandfather
Character traits
Very possessive of Alice, sees her as young child Keeps pigeons, considers granddaughter as pigeon Has a hard time accepting Alice as an adult Jealous of Stevens, looks for Stevens faults: physical appearance & his fathers job Jealousy, possessiveness and selfishness
Evidence from the story Old enough to go courting? Want to leave home?, Ill tell your mother can keep her a bit longer? Old enough to go courting? Red-handed/throated, violent-bodied youth, son of postmaster
Grandfather (cont.)
Character traits His mood is influenced by his granddaughters appearance He becomes troubles, angry and over-protective Powerless, feeling empty and lonely and crying childish selfish attitude has led to his unconventional behaviors
Alice
Character traits Young, carefree Wants to marry Stevens mature Evidence from the story
Stevens
Character traits A good man Evidence Lucy expects him to be as good a husband as her other three girls have Red-handed, postmans son
Negative, violent, from a normal, working class family thoughtful enough, considerate, kind
Contradiction
I. It's unreasonable for loving and hurting the one we love to happen at the same time, but it's reasonable for the old man to love and to hurt his granddaughter. 1. It's unreasonable for loving and hurting the one we love to happen at the same time, but it's reasonable for the old man to love and to hurt his granddaughter through the dialogues between him and his granddaughter 2. It's unreasonable for loving and hurting the one we love to happen at the same time, but it's reasonable for the old man to love and to hurt his granddaughter that is shown by the conversation between the old man and his daughter toward his granddaughter. 3. It's unreasonable for loving and hurting the one we love to happen at the same time, but it's reasonable for the old man to love and to hurt his granddaughter by means of the old man's inner emotion.
4. The behavior that the bird is taken care and rudely treated is unreasonable, but it's reasonable for the old man to do such behaviors. 5. The behavior that the bird is taken care and rudely treated is unreasonable, but it's reasonable for the old man to do that through his thoughts toward the bird. 6. The behavior that the bird is taken care and rudely treated is unreasonable, but it's reasonable for the old man to do that because external elements affect his behaviors toward the bird
Symbolism
His favorite pigeon (nature): Alice (young, pretty, fly away) Locking the bird up: controlling Alice Letting the pigeon go: allow Alice to go (Conrol the bird but cannot control Alice: its natural to leave home) -He lets his favorite pigeon go, as if he feels this is symbolic of having to let his final granddaughter go. -The doves all return, but there is no mention of the pigeon who is gone forever.
Contrast- comparison
Generations viewpoints Maturity >< Immaturity (old age >< shouting) While Lucy is calm and reasonable, the old man and Alice quarrel like children Tease >< respect, affection They hung about him, affectionate, concernedThey took his arms and directed himenclosing him, petting him... Alice and Steven tumble like puppies - they are not yet enjoying adult pleasure but their play is a preparation for what comes later
Compare
the attitudes of the old man and Alice the arguments of the old man and Lucy about Alice's marrying the old man's ideas of his granddaughters before and after marriage Alice and the favourite pigeon sunlight and warmth at the start and dusk and cold at the end of the story The old man's initial defiance and eventual acceptance of Steven's courtship of Alice
Point of view
the old man's point of view The third persons poit of view an omniscient way, the readers will have a better understanding of what is going on in the story