Flying Home

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1953

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Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

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Literary Devices

Parallelism

Throughout “Flying Home,” Ellison utilizes parallelism to signal Todd’s inner transformation. Parallelism is a literary device characterized by the repetition of grammatical structures, phrases, scenes, or ideas in a text. The repeated elements mark a point of emphasis, either stylistically or thematically (often both). By aligning similar elements, especially in a brief story like “Flying Home,” parallelism enhances cohesion and fosters symmetry and balance in the text.

For example, Todd’s flashback to his childhood parallels his present situation, emphasizing its emotional weight. When the story begins, Todd has just crashed his plane; in addition to being injured, he is anxious about how he will be punished when he returns to the airfield. Todd has loved planes since childhood; looking up into the sky to watch planes symbolizes hope for a joyous life. As a child, when he learned that the plane above him was an actual plane instead of a toy, he “cried bitterly; as much from the disappointment of finding the plane so far beyond [his] reach as from the pain” (166). The crash and falling from the sky bring Todd back to his bleak reality and make him feel like flying is once again beyond his reach.

Another element that parallels these is when Todd refuses to wear the straitjacket and Dabney Graves kicks him in the chest, causing him to fall backward. Again, Todd is knocked down, even lower this time. This parallel element suggests, on one level, that Todd’s desire for freedom, agency, and joy has proven futile; no matter what, people like Graves will keep him down. By kicking Todd while he’s down, Graves capitalizes on Todd’s vulnerable position. By contrast, Jefferson and Teddy lift Todd up, physically and spiritually. Todd’s salvation does not come from the sky or from white people—both things he considers above him. They come from the people right beside him who share his experience as a Black American.

Flashback

“Flying Home” includes two flashbacks. Flashbacks are a narrative tool for conveying backstory, character development, and thematic depth. By interrupting the chronological sequence of events, flashbacks provide insights into characters’ past experiences, motivations, and emotional states. This device enhances the complexity of storytelling, allowing authors to explore characters’ inner conflicts without relying on exposition. Flashbacks can also create suspense and add layers of meaning.

The first flashback occurs when Todd recalls the letter from his girlfriend, in which she encouraged him not to put his life in jeopardy in order to prove himself to his white counterparts. She added that white soldiers are attempting to “humiliate” Black people. When he remembers the letter, he wonders what she could possibly know about humiliation; she has never felt the pressure he feels of having to represent his entire race. At this point in the story, Todd has just been injured, and one of his first concerns is that his mistake will impact all African Americans who want to fly. This flashback allows the story to introduce a character who is not present in the story’s action—Todd’s girlfriend—who nonetheless has an important role as another voice that is posing Todd questions that he cannot answer. This adds to his emotional turmoil and prompts him to question his identity further.

Later in the story, Todd has a flashback to his childhood and the first time he saw a plane. This flashback intensifies Todd’s emotions, which veer from joy to desolation, and push him closer to his epiphany.

Allusion

Allusion is a literary device that involves referencing well-known people, events, myths, or works of art to add depth and meaning to a text. Allusions can evoke cultural, historical, or literary associations, aiding and complicating a text’s interpretation. By drawing on the shared knowledge of well-known stories or figures, allusions provide a shorthand for building nuance into a text.

Todd’s plane crash in “Flying Home” is comparable to the story of Icarus in Greek myth. According to the legend, Icarus’s father, an inventor named Daedalus, makes wings out of beeswax, feathers, and blankets to escape from Crete, where he and his son are held captive by King Minos. Daedalus warns Icarus to fly neither too low nor too high (the sea will clog his wings, and the sun will melt them). Icarus, however, becomes carried away, and he flies so high that the sun melts his wings. As a result, he falls into the sea and drowns. Like Icarus, Todd falls from the sky as a result of his own excitement. The stories are slightly different, though; the myth of Icarus warns against hubris, whereas “Flying Home” is more of a bitter lesson for Todd, who may or may not escape the grips of oppression during his lifetime.