77 pages • 2 hours read
Ellen OhFlying Lessons & Other Stories
Fiction | Short Story Collection | Middle Grade | Published in 2017A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Important Quotes
“You’ll consider putting up a fight here, but don’t.”
(“How to Transform…”, Page 18)
After finally playing in a game at Muni Gym, the narrator is shoved back into the bleachers by Dante. The narrator considers resisting because he played so well but does not, which shows character growth. He recognizes that in this moment, words are not needed and that he will get his chance to play again.
“Maybe words aren’t what’s important. Maybe words would just steal away your freedom to think for yourself.”
(“How to Transform…”, Page 20)
The narrator notices that both his father and Dante say very little to him, yet they are both supportive adults in his life. He recognizes that assistance comes in many forms, and it does not have to be verbal. By personifying words as someone who steals, the narrator emphasizes that both men have given him the gift of space to figure things out on his own.
“But the sea was what mesmerized me. It whispered with a quiet thunder, and when I saw the ‘waves made of dragon scales,’ just like in one of Li Po’s poems, I gasped.”
(“The Difficult Path”, Page 32)
As Lingsi proceeds to the Infinite Stream Temple, she glimpses the ocean, which is personified here. By giving the sea the human ability to whisper with a quiet thunder, Lingsi emphasizes how powerful the pull of the ocean is for her. It is as if the water is luring her closer, and she is in awe of it. This is also foreshadowing, for the sea will ultimately provide an escape from her current life when she is taken in by the Red Flag Fleet.
