Fly Away Peter Summary
FLY AWAY PETER - CHAPTER ONE
This chapter as the beginning of the book sets the scene and begins to develop the characters of the novel. The story begins with Jim in the swampland watching birds calmly, looking at how they live their lives, remembering that these small birds have seen more of the world than most people, "has been further and higher than even that clumsy plane" (p.3). As a respectful intruder into the birds' territories, Jim feels that nature is in balance before he notices a biplane begins making circles above the swampland.
The biplane belongs to Ashley Crowther, Jim's employer who owns the swampland and is giving his guests flights over the area. Ashley is something like a local squire after returning from England, where he had his education. This distinguishes the lives between Jim and Ashley, although we later learn that Ashley in fact provided the job for Jim, it has liberated Jim, and has "made free of his own life" (p.5) the basic, boring life that Jim's father had declared "for the likes of us" (p.5)
Jim and Ashley have a strong bond between them, despite their difference in class. Ashley recognises that Jim has an affinity with the land, and proclaims that in fact the land partially belongs to Jim, although Ashley owns it.
Later we meet Jim's father, a traditional man, with many contrasts between Jim and himself. Jim's father resented the English, against their "fancy accents and their new fangled ideas. And their machines!" (p.6) Jim's father believes that Jim would be better off just going to Brisbane and getting a job there, so as not to rely on the English for employment. But Jim will stay and rely on Ashley because "Something in the silence that existed between them, … made Jim believe that there could be a common ground between them, whatever the difference."
My Thoughts and Feelings about Chapter 1:
When reading this chapter I felt that there was a very strong affinity between Jim and nature, that he was so intensely
This chapter as the beginning of the book sets the scene and begins to develop the characters of the novel. The story begins with Jim in the swampland watching birds calmly, looking at how they live their lives, remembering that these small birds have seen more of the world than most people, "has been further and higher than even that clumsy plane" (p.3). As a respectful intruder into the birds' territories, Jim feels that nature is in balance before he notices a biplane begins making circles above the swampland.
The biplane belongs to Ashley Crowther, Jim's employer who owns the swampland and is giving his guests flights over the area. Ashley is something like a local squire after returning from England, where he had his education. This distinguishes the lives between Jim and Ashley, although we later learn that Ashley in fact provided the job for Jim, it has liberated Jim, and has "made free of his own life" (p.5) the basic, boring life that Jim's father had declared "for the likes of us" (p.5)
Jim and Ashley have a strong bond between them, despite their difference in class. Ashley recognises that Jim has an affinity with the land, and proclaims that in fact the land partially belongs to Jim, although Ashley owns it.
Later we meet Jim's father, a traditional man, with many contrasts between Jim and himself. Jim's father resented the English, against their "fancy accents and their new fangled ideas. And their machines!" (p.6) Jim's father believes that Jim would be better off just going to Brisbane and getting a job there, so as not to rely on the English for employment. But Jim will stay and rely on Ashley because "Something in the silence that existed between them, … made Jim believe that there could be a common ground between them, whatever the difference."
My Thoughts and Feelings about Chapter 1:
When reading this chapter I felt that there was a very strong affinity between Jim and nature, that he was so intensely