FLIGHT – Doris Lessing

Part A
1. What is the old man doing in the opening paragraph?
The old man is playing with a young pigeon.
2. What part of the day is it? What does he feel at the time? How does the scene around affect his
mood?
- In the landscape of a late summer afternoon.
- He feels contented (he rested the bird lightly on his chest and leaned against a tree)
- The surrounding affects his feelings positively, strengthening the peaceful, and relaxing vibe of
a countryside.
3. What is his granddaughter doing? Where is she now? How old is she?
She was waiting for Steven. She is swinging on the gate under the frangipani tree. She is 18.
4. How does the adverb ‘politely’ reveal to readers the relationship between the girl and her
grandfather?
The bond between the two people is not stable. Members of the family should be casual, and
close-knit. Thus, “politely” suggests Alice was pretentious, and rebellious as she fears her
granddad has figured out something.
5. Is the old man satisfied with his granddaughter’s behavior? Why / why not?
No, he was not happy with Alice because he thinks she is too young to date, also he worries for
her safety.
6. How many members are there in the house at the moment? Who are they?
3 members: Grandpa, Lucy and Alice
Members in the house/family: 4 (Grandpa, Lucy, husband, and Alice)
Characters at the moment: 4 ( Grandpa, Lucy, Alice, and Steven)
7. What is his daughter’s reaction when the old man tells her about the girl’s dating?
She is sympathetic so she supports the marriage of Alice and Steven (I was married at 17…)
8. Why does the old man object (phản đối) to the girl’s marriage?
He is afraid of the changing of Alice like the other grandchildren, as they abandon him and make
him feel lonely in his own family.
9. What kind of gift does the young couple give the old man?
A pigeon
10. What did the young couple tell the old man?
“There, Granddad, it’s your, ‘it’s you.”
They say wordlessly that nothing would be changed, nothing could change, and they will be with
him always.
11. What does he do after the couple gives him the gift?
He holds the birds, plays with it, puts the new bird in the box and releases his favorite one.
12. How does the old man feel when he is watching his favorite bird and the others flying and
then returning?
He feels happy/ at ease/ his inner peace because he knows that even that Alice gets married to
Steven, she/ they will come back to him just like the bird.
13. What happens to the girl at the end of the story?
Alice is staring at the old man and crying.
14. What does her reaction mean?
The tears represent her happiness for receiving the acceptance for her marriage from the old man,
also they also show her sadness when having to leave her childhood behind.
Part B
1. How does the relationship between the grandfather, his daughter, and his granddaughter define
the many conflicts in this story?
The bond between the old man and other characters in the story was not strong/ somewhat toxic
because there was a generation gap.
Different people, different mindset, and different habits of loving.
On the inside, he really loves and cares for them. However, the way he shows it out was rude,
overprotective, and childish.
2. Why does the writer devote so much attention to the description of the setting - and especially
to the birds? What do the birds symbolize?
The scenery was breath-taking, wide, and has much to discover, however, the bird was caged.
This contrast shows a lack of freedom and a stifling atmosphere.
The bird symbolizes Alice - the only joy of the old man
3. What does the detail about the girl’s singing of that song contribute to the conflict between her
and the grandfather?
The girl who sings that song deliberately/ on purpose to let the old man hear. This annoys him
and makes he become even more angry.
This detail contributes to the external conflict between the grandfather and all the circumstances
related Alice in the story.
4. What is the connection between the first episode involving the old man and his birds and the
last scene?
The man and the birds live happily together at the first episode. Finally, he lets the birds go at the
end of the story
5. Explain the man’s reaction at the end of the story? Why does he smile at his granddaughter?
He finds his inner peace. He gives up his selfish desire because he realizes that they will return,
they will never abandon him or leave him alone.
6. The tension between the old man and the young couple seem to melt away when they offer
him the gift. Is it because the old man loves his pets so much that he turns out to be tolerant to
them or is it because of any other reason?
Not because of the gift, but the way they hand the new pigeon to the old man. This shows much
love and care for him, which makes he changes his mind.