INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Instructor: Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, M.A. & M.Sc.USSH-VNU-HCMCEmail: ndmongha@yahoo.deMobile phone: 0919694811Office hours: Monday, Friday afternoon (4-6 p.m)

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FLIGHTDoris Lessing (1919- )

Reference• http://lessing.redmood.com/herlife.htm • http://lessing.redmood.com/herbooksalphabetically.htm • http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Doris_Lessing.ht

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• http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/features/womenwriters/index.shtml

• www.shunsley.eril.net/armoore/gcse/flight • www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Campus/2159/

resources.htm • www.dovecotes.co.ok/Gatcombe.htm • http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/anthology/flight.htm• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/

english_literature/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 father’s 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, Alice‘s fiancé• Steven offers him a new pigeon as a gift• The old man lets his favourite pigoen out• When he looks at Alice, she‘s 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

- Alice‘s waiting for Steven >< Anger of the old man („old enough to go courting ? Want to leave home?) -„I‘ll tell your mother“ >< Alice‘s defiance „tell away“

• Old man going back home, feeling sad & lonely >< Alice‘s happiness of going out with Stevens

• Conversation with his daughter, Alice‘s mother:2nd conflict- angry, stumping feet „not like that, can‘t 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, LucyNever 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• Steven‘s 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. Old man, grandfather (unnamed): main2. Granddaughter, Alice3. Alice‘s boyfriend/fiance, Steven4. 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

Steven‘s faults: physical appearance & his father‘s jobJealousy, possessiveness and selfishness

Evidence from the story• Old enough to go courting?

Want to leave home?, I‘ll 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 granddaughter’s 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, Alice‘s mother

Character traits• Married at 17 but husband

no longer in life: still optimistic

• Happy about Alice & Steven‘s engagement

Evidence

Stevens

Character traits• A good man

• Negative, violent, from a normal, working class family

• thoughtful enough, considerate, kind

Evidence• Lucy expects him to be as

good a husband as her other three girls have

• Red-handed, postman‘s son

• give the old man a present of a pigeon

Theme 1: Accepting life’s changes

• Topic: growing up and leaving homeit ‘s difficult for an older person to accept that a grandchild has grown up, independent, it’s 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 granddaughter2. 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: it‘s 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,...

• Alice‘s 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, concerned…They

took his arms and directed him…enclosing 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 person‘s poit of view• an omniscient way, the readers will have a

better understanding of what is going on in the story