INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

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

DORIS LESSING (1919 -....)

born in 1919 in Iran moved to Zimbabwe at 5 (British parents) unhappy childhood: strict mother, her crippled fathers failure & injury in World War One, terrifying nuns at school, dropping out of school at 13, reading widely (self-educated) left home at 15 and worked as a nursemaid, writing stories married at the age of 19 and had two children, left her family, married again and had a third child left her second husband after WWII, moved to London with her third child, and became a full-time writer Nobel Prize in Literature in 2007 Early work: largely semi-autobiographical

SETTING OF FLIGHT (1957)

Doris Lessing's earlier work is based on her experiences in Africa: Flight is clearly set in Africa the wooden veranda at the front of the whitewashed house details that seems to reflect Lessing's English roots, such as cups of tea and sewing what happened in Lessing's own life: - the young girl is desperate to leave home (just like Lessing was) and argues with her grandfather (perhaps like Lessing did with her parents) - the grandfather's bitterness (he dislikes Steven and feels abandoned by his family) might reflect the views of Lessing's father

More about time & place

the valley, the earth, the trees; the dovecote; Lucy's sewing; plates and cups of tea; Steven's father's job - he is a postmaster

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)

Introduction of the characters

- Old man (granddad) holding the favorite young, plump pigeon pretty, resting the bird lightly on his chest - Granddaughter swinging, singing - Going to let the bird fly away but then keeps it back & shuts it in box - Stevens: mentioned through conversation between them

Rising action & conflicts

First conversation between granddad & Alice: 1st conflict - Alices waiting for Steven >< Anger of the old man (old enough to go courting ? Want to leave home?) -Ill tell your mother >< Alices defiance tell away Old man going back home, feeling sad & lonely >< Alices happiness of going out with Stevens Conversation with his daughter, Alices mother:2nd conflict - angry, stumping feet not like that, cant you see ><patient, calm, sewing have tea - marry at 18? > married at 17 - intention to get married next month Anger rises

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

Falling actions & Resolution

Young couple coming back Stevens offering the old man the pigeon as a gift Affectionate attitude towards the old man Let the favorite bird go Dry-eyed & calm, watching the bird soar No more conflict between him & Alice/the couple No more internal conflict: feeling calm He was smiling >< Alice was crying: ambiguous (tears are for him, for Steven, for herself or for some other cause? tears of joy or sadness or some other feelings?)

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

too young to be courting

Accept the pigeon

Alice
Character traits Young, carefree Wants to marry Stevens mature Evidence from the story

Lucy, Alices mother

Character traits Married at 17 but husband no longer in life: still optimistic Happy about Alice & Stevens engagement Evidence

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

give the old man a present of a pigeon

Theme 1: Accepting lifes changes

Topic: growing up and leaving home it s difficult for an older person to accept that a grandchild has grown up, independent, its alarming, but natural and almost inevitable

Theme 2: Learning how to let things go

Let the pain/ the sadness/sorrow/bad experience/negative ideas,... go For parents/grandparents of teens: an adult daughter coping with the care of elderly parents reflecting on life, love and age

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

Theme 3: Little things in life make huge impact

Offering gift Affectionate attitude: love makes changes Maintain good family relationships

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.

Language: syntax, style, tone,...

Alices legs: stems of trees Body language - actions and gestures lying happy eyes Dialogue Repitition Comparison courting: old-fashioned phrase (generation gap) narration and description to catch the readers attention, making us feel the grandfather's state of emotions

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