HIS FIRST FLIGHT
HIS FIRST FLIGHT
1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
The young seagull was afraid to fly because below him was the vast sea and he thought his wings would never support him and he would fall into the sea and die.
2. What did the parents do to motivate the young bird when it failed to muster up enough courage to fly?
The parents of young seagull calling him loudly. They scolded him and even threatened to starve him.
3. How did the parents support and encourage the young seagull's brothers and sister?
They flew about with them, trying to perfect them in the art of flight. They taught them how to skim and how to dive for fish.
4. Cite an instance which shows the pathetic condition of the young bird?
When tbe sun was shining hot, the young bird felt the heat all the more because he had not eaten anything since yesterday night. He searched everywhere but not a scrap of food was found. He even gnawed at the dried pieces of eggshell, from which he and his brothers and sister were hatched. It was like eating a part of himself.
5. How did the bird try to reach its parents without having to fly?
The young seagull trotted back and forth from one end of the ledge to the other, trying to find some means of reaching his parents without flying. But on each side of him the ledge ended in a sheer fall of precipice with the sea beneath. There was a deep wide crack between him and his parents.
6. Why could the seagull not succeed in its attempt?
The seagull couldn't succeed in its attempt because there was nothing to walk on that bring him to his parents. A deep, wide crack separated him from his parents and there was no way for him to reach them except by flying to them.
7. Do you think that the young seagull's parents were cruel?
No, I don't think so. They were not cruel, but they were wise.
8. Can you justify the attitude of the parents?
The parents were right in what they did. They wanted to teach him the importance of confidence and self - reliance. One can't depend on his parents all his life for his livelihood. He should learn to find food for himself once he reaches a certain stage of his life.
9. Your parents sometimes behave in the same manner. They may seem cruel and unrelenting. Does it mean that they do not love you?
The parents sometimes behave in this cruel and unrelenting manner to make us self - reliant. It doesn't mean they do not love us. It means they love us and that is why they train us to be independent and self - reliant. If they treat us as a helpless baby all the time, we will remain a belpless baby. So it is their love that forces them to be seemingly cruel and unrelenting at times.
10. What prompted the young seagull to fly finally?
It was his hunger that prompted the young seagull to fly finally. He was very hungry and the mother would not give him the fish she had brought with her. She wanted him to fly to her to get it.
11. Why was the young bird rerrified? How did it overcome its fear?
The young bird dived at the fish his mother was carrying. When he dived he fell outward and downward into space. The wind rushed against his breast feathers and his stomach and wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling now. He was soaring. He thus overcome his fear.
12. How did the family support the seagull?
The mother flew past him, making joyful sounds. His father flew over him, screaming with joy. His two brothers and sister were flying around him, soaring and diving. In this way the family supported him.
13. Why could not the young seagull stand on the green sea?
The young seagull could not stand on the green sea because the legs would go down to the water. But when his belly touched the water, he did not sink further.
14. Do you think the bird's parentsloved him? Why?
Of course, the bird's parents loved him. They wanted to teach him how to be courageous and self - confident. The mother even came with a piece of fish to tempt him to attempt the flight. And when finally he flew, all the family members showed their joy by flying with him and making happy noises.
Activity
Review:
Liam O’ Flaherty pictures the Irish Sea coast, and bird life through his
inspirational story of a seagull in “His First Flight”. Bird life and habits are revealed clearly through the story. A bird attains independence only when it succeeds in flying. Flying encourages a bird to cover the land and the seas through air. One such young seagull and his first flight overcoming fear is the central character and theme of the story.
The young seagull is alone on the ledge, his usual place of rest. His head is
down, he is depressed. The reason is that his brothers and sister (siblings) have learnt to fly, but he hasn’t .His attempts have not become successful. Somehow the fear of failure and the lack of confidence has pulled him down. He has formed a judgment in his mind that his wings will never support him even though his wings are larger and stronger than the others. He cannot muster up (gather) courage to take, that plunge or leap which will inspire flying .His parents scolded him, and threatened him to starve on the ledge, if he did not fly. But all this was nothing. He was scared to death.
Now 24 hours of tension has passed. His parents have tried their best to encourage him, to make him fly, but they failed. Moreover he had seen his parents perfecting his siblings in the art of flying, teaching them to skim the waves and dive for fish. The young seagull felt jealous seeing his older brother catch a herring and eat.
The parents wanted him to feel jealous, they wanted to show him their
anger in his refusal to fly. He must not be a coward, a fool. Birds are born to fly, and if this seagull did not have the courage to do he would be a failure. Other birds would make fun of him. He would die of starvation.
Now it was evening, he was hungry. Not a single bit of food on the ledge. His
stomach hurt from starving. But still he was not ready to try and fly. But moreover the funny fact was that he was burning his head, thinking of a method to reach his parents without flying. Between him and his parents there was a deep crack.
He tried to make his parents notice his presence. He stood on one leg, with
the other leg hidden under his wing, closing his eyes and pretending to fall
asleep. But no one saw him. Again he secretly viewed his brothers and sisters lying and dozing after their first day of flying. His father was preening his feathers. But his mother, she was the only one who was still worried. She was looking at her young one. She wanted to give him some more inspiration, so she started pecking at a piece of fish .When she rubbed her beak on the rock, the young seagull grew mad. “Food….oh God its so long since I’ve had some food. His mother understood his needs. She cackled ga,ga,ga…. He too cried out loud. To his surprise, he saw his mother pick up
a piece of fish and fly towards him. As he came nearer and nearer, his heart
jumped with excitement. The thought of food bought water in to his mouth.
But as she came nearer the rock, she halted. He unknowingly dived at the
food, and he fell into open space. And he felt frightened. But the fear lasted
only for a moment. He spread his wings outward and started to fly. He was soaring. He was so happy. He howled with joy. His family too came to accompany his joy. The whole family soared and dived through the air. He forgot his fear. Next he came on to the sea. His feet fell into water. He thought he would fall, but his belly touched the water .He felt balanced. He
could fly and float too. Thus he made his first flight.
Activity - I
1. What is the theme of the story?
“Making a leap to fly high in the skies, overcoming fear and weakness is the
theme of this story. To fly is the life purpose of a bird .Only by flying can it survive to get its food. It has to be independent because parents cannot provide food always. We too must learn life from the young seagull. We must overcome fear, shyness, nervousness and all unnecessary thinking and strive hard to reach out goal. The importance of ‘family’ as a source of inspiration and motivation is also the central idea conveyed through the story of the seagull .The mother of
the young one is the real motivator who is responsible for the “First Successful Flight”.
2. What do you think is the real crisis faced by the young bird?
‘FEAR’ is the real crisis.
‘Fear’ in many forms.
Firstly he has no self confidence. He highlights his negatives and disabilities
more than his qualities and abilities .He also compare himself with his siblings.
Secondly, he fears that he will fail.”FAILURE” is impossible to him. His ego doesn’t allow it. So he cannot make the big leap which will enable him to fly.
He still looks down. His head must look up.
Thirdly, he is judgmental. He has formed a vision that his wings will not
support him to fly. He is not willing to try and do so.
So we can infer that his crisis is actually a mental crisis.
3. What is your impression of the reaction of the parents in the story?
Parents are the reason why children grow up safely in this world. They protect, nurture and build up children to make them USEFUL citizens. It is the motivation and inspiration they give to children which make them rise up the ladder of education and social status and financial security.
To a bird, whose life purpose is to fly high and find food for survival a parent
must make sure that the young bird must learn the art of flying at the earliest .The family in this story is the perfect example of the characteristics mentioned above.
They inspire, motivate and promote him. They give the first ‘push’. They
love the young seagull, and when he backs out they show him anger. The mother is wonderful , she doesn’t give up until her son makes his first flight. The father and siblings too take part in every need of his .The family enjoys together when he flies and catches food.
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