Student’s Full Name: Nguyen Minh Tuan

Student ID: 1967010121

Class Code: 20A1+20A2
Instructor: Tran Nhat Nam
THE SETTING OF “FLIGHT”
The Flight story was published in 1957, in a collection of short stories entitled The
Habit of Loving. The author, Doris Lessing was born in 1919, in Khermanhah in Persia
(now Iran). Her parents were British. At six years old, she moved to Zimbabwe (then
Southern Rhodesia), where she attended a girls' school. In 1949, she moved to London,
where her first novel, The Grass is Singing, was published in 1950.
The story occurred in a late afternoon of a warm end-of-summer month. The late
afternoon showed the end of the day, it was also the time when people finished their work
and came back home. "..., gazing out beyond the dovecote into the landscape of a late
afternoon" was associated with the old man’s age and it was the rule of nature: people
could not avoid it. "..., as she had every evening of this warm end-of-summer month"
denoted that autumn was coming. It seemed a sense of sadness, the end of happiness, and
followed by loneliness, emptiness with the coming of autumn.
The place setting is not mentioned directly but can guess from details. Guessing
place was African with evidence: "...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...";
"...hearing the wooden veranda creak angrily under his feet...". Extra information: Flight
is also one of the stories in the book African Stories Doris Lessing published in 1965 (in
page 578). The Flight story took place mostly in the garden of a little whitewashed house
past the railway cottage and in a warm country: "...on the gate underneath a frangipani
tree...": a frangipani tree usually grows near the equator; "...hearing the wooden veranda
creak angrily under his feet...": veranda is a room which is usually used in hot countries;
Other clues: "...returning to the valley and the shelter of the night...", "...that even the
leaves of the trees had stopped shaking...", "...Above the old man's head was the
dovecote...", "...brought him a cup, set him a plate...", "...the son of the postmaster...".
However, the setting can be everywhere and it creates a sense of universality: "...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; a stream of rich green
grass the road...". It is an impressive picture of nature’s beauty. Contrary to the
marvellous nature that is the locked dovecote: the birds cannot enjoy nature which means
the loss of freedom. It is suitable with the character's personality: a conservative old man
who seems not to go out very often, so what he can see is the narrow setting.
Can you think of a time and place of the story? Perhaps more important is the time
in which this story is set. Although the narrative seems quite modern in showing a young
woman about to leave home, the attitudes of the grandfather are more traditional. He
wants to keep his grandchild at home and spoil her as his favourite. Although Alice will
not give in to the old man's wishes, she still shows respect for him. There’s no social
background but the conflict is marriage. This is a very common matter in the world.