fly away peter

Question 1

theme of innocence to experience chapters 8-18

Answer 1

chapters 9-18: Jim’s experience in WW2

• Jim goes to war and feels as though his future isn’t clear anymore
• faced with grim reality of war and the ensuing suffering
• he had been living in a state of oblivion / dangerous innocence
• debunks myths of war being heroic and masculine

Question 2

the theme of birds

Answer 2

• symbolise how nature transcends human existence
• soldiers travel from all over the world to fight where as birds simply migrate due to seasons
• birds will return home soldiers will not (exposes the destruction humans create)
• birds are undefeated, humans wish to find something new and good from tragedy to experience
• birds are all Jim finds comfort in

Question 3

theme of the cyclic nature of life

Answer 3

• the surfer continuing to get on his board shows Imogen that life goes on there’s always new things to contemplate
• the past cannot be held or brought back
• Jim’s journey of self discovery provides a vehicle for the author to deliver messages portraying the transient nature of humans existence and significance of individual life

Question 4

describe some literary devices

Answer 4

• symbolism: the birds, surfer, the book
• imagery: descriptions of nature / war
• metaphors
• connotative language: hell, dangerous, sanctuary

Question 5

theme of innocence to experience chapters 1-8

Answer 5

chapters 1-8: centre around Jim’s innocence

• he and Ashley connect through their love of birds and innate spiritual pull to nature and the land
• aren’t tainted by any ‘horrors’