Hey All,
You've been asked to read Sherman Alexie's Flight and I'm wondering what your initial impressions are?
What did you think of his word choices? His topics? His characters?
What if anything was is Sherman Alexie saying about identity, motivations, history, revenge, being a teenager, being abused, moving homes and schools a lot, making choices?
Any other ideas?
You've been asked to read Sherman Alexie's Flight and I'm wondering what your initial impressions are?
What did you think of his word choices? His topics? His characters?
What if anything was is Sherman Alexie saying about identity, motivations, history, revenge, being a teenager, being abused, moving homes and schools a lot, making choices?
Any other ideas?
After reading this book, I think that his word choice was really easy for the reader to adapt too and made the reading very simple to understand because many of us think the same way as the author was while writing this book. The topics were interesting and at times i felt they were alittle weird but the bank, justice, and the drunk scene with the business man seemed like interesting and directly related to eachother at the end. His characters seemed to go well with his topics and they were consistent throught the book.
ReplyDeleteI think Sherman was trying to get the point across that everyone has a difficult life and that you cant trust anyone in the world. At the end of the day the world views everyone differently then we veiw ourselves, and that is what Zits realized at the end. That regardless if your homeless, a cop, a drunk, or a rich business man, everyone views you differently and in the end you need to be who you are and respect yourself inorder for others to respect you.
I just wrote for 35 minutes and 5 paragraphs and when I went to post it, blogspot dumped it and said it wasn't acceptable! Stay tuned for a shorter less detailed version...
ReplyDeleteAnthony, I can almost hear your primal scream!!! Perhaps other students might want to learn from your pain and type in a Word document and then copy and paste. Was it too long? I've never heard of blogspot doing this, so it would be nice to figure out why.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, sorry this happened and I look forward to the condensed version.....why do these things always seem to happen when it is something long and not the short ones we could easily recreate?
"Flight" was a great book, it took you on a journey through the life of the United States and the history of Indians in a unique and candid way. Sherman has a way of using words and phrases at just the write point and in just the right fashion. Never too bold or brash for the situation, just a little smack in the face of reality! The characters may tend to remind us of some life issues or family issues we've all dealt with. Even with that they are people none of us have EVER met or really known, they are our countries past, our families past or even our own past or present. The way in which Sherman ties together each story and the thought process in (Zits) head is intricate and thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteSherman forms an identity of (Zits) immediately. Maybe not a "common" form of everyday 15 year olds but a common theme persists throughout the book of what most teenagers have to deal with. Couple that with young kids that have gone through the life he has and you have an explosive package! One that leads to some of the issues and stories we see him (Zits) going through in this book. Sherman draws from Native American history, US trepidation over their past and the results of which, that we see in todays age.
(Zits) doesn't necessarily know what his problems really are or what he can do to get what he wants out of life but he is sent on this journey via Alexies' reflective and thorough thought process.
Clearly we all have bumps in our life, their is always a "Bully", a life issue, personal regrets and even thoughts of default that brings us to the brink. Sherman Alexie allows through his character to character and story to story development one to recognize where we might stand in this world. Are we so bad off? Do we have a culture that was abused such as the Native Americans were? Is there really so much wrong in our lives compared to others? This book leaves us to reflect on our personal issues and thoughts in life. Great book and sad yet enjoyable journey to go on!
Yes, Listen to what Melissa Just posted!! Type into a word doc first then copy/paste to the post.
ReplyDeleteAnd Yes Melissa, there was a PRIMAL scream on my end for that! I was ready to go for a trail run and just like that my afternoon was ruined! But no worries, got it done and off to burn the energy now!
COPY AND PASTE FROM WORD DOCS...it's so much less painful ;)
Coming from a family where speech is refined and respectful, I must admit I found the word choice to be rather crude. While I know that this is the way most people think and talk, for me it was disconcerting and made me feel a lot less connected to the characters and story. However, after thinking it over, I really don't think the same message could have been conveyed in such a way without the word choice that Alexie used.
ReplyDeleteAlexie depicts a world full of pain, where people fight against each other tooth and nail because of differences, no matter how petty they are. Especially thought-provoking was the chapter or so where Zits is placed in his father's shoes. He(the father) is desperately seeking respect...whatever it may be. After thinking it over, he asks the man he pins to the wall to tell him a secret to show respect. Taking a definition from this story, "respecting" someone would involve letting them into your personal life and telling them things few people get to know. I think Alexie is trying to convey that if people would really try to understand one another, there would be a lot less warring over differences in the world.
You'd THINK I would have learned from the above comments, but NO! This is take two of posting this comment :)
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteWow- two disappearing posts in one day- that didn't happen last term- so, sorry it wasn't an issue before so I didn't know to warn students.
That is cool that while you didn't like the language personally, you could see why he used it. Thanks for a thoughtful post.
Flight was an interesting story about a teenage kid going through a spiritual journey. I read the material as if he was in a dilemma of good or (justice) Vs evil. He ended some chapters making you long for more details such as did he shoot the dead body of the Indian? Did he stab the solider boy with the bayonet at the battle of little big horn? Other than that the book was about him finding his place in the world within Officers Daves immediate family. Having had a cousin that was adopted into my extended family I have a general idea what Michael went through. Life is rough as a foster kid getting moved from place to place; it’s heart breaking because you’re not there long enough to make any connections with the “family” your living with. Yes this story was filled with pain and anguish but knowing the history of what was done in the past prepares one to not join in on atrocities in the future. That way we try and not repeat the past.
ReplyDelete@Hannah
ReplyDeleteI could understand why the language could be over the top and not accepted in many different households, and i agree that Alexie uses this to his advantage by conveying exactly how zits was feeling and how it is justifiable in this context.
@ Melissa
Is this book apart of any curriculum or is this book very popular in the Indian community?
- I liked the book, it was easy to read, very interesting and kept the story flowing well.
ReplyDelete-the charachtors were very different and i thought were well thought out on how zits might learn a lesson from them. The wording he used to tell the story i thought worked very good, it wasnt abrasive, it was loose and made it sound more laid back and easy to read.
-the story works well for me as sort of an arguement whether; you are a product of your own environment? Or if you are geneticly predispositioned to be who you are?
Pay- Sherman Alexie is a well known writer in his own right as an individual and one of the most well known contemporary authors from a Native American community. So, his books are used in many schools/colleges/universities across the US and in other countries too.
ReplyDeleteHis "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian" takes a much more humorous look at life on the Spokane Indian Reservation(in Eastern, WA) as a teen, a dork and someone who went off the rez to an all white school and had to face crap from both communities. It is a great book and an easy read if you are looking for something else by him. You can also download Sherman Alexie reading that book through the King County Library system online (if you have a library card that is).
You can also check out his website, he's done movies, stand up, novels, thrillers, short stories, poetry, and so forth. There are many great authors with Native identities, so know he is just one of many and someone that is often a first start to Native Studies. http://www.fallsapart.com/
When reading flight, I had many different impressions. At first I wasn’t sure where Sherman Alexie was heading with his story. This made me want to continue flipping the pages even more.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t offended by the language used in the book but at times I wondered whether it was necessary. After reading the book though, I couldn’t imagine Alexie writing the story in any other way. He had good characters throughout the book and tied them together nicely. It really shows how much of a difference people’s views on one another can be. I am currently taking a multicultural communications class and I constantly find myself referring to that book. I feel like Alexie is saying that if people try to understand one another than there can be less conflict. I believe this is a huge reason why we sometimes battle one another is because we understand each other.
Overall, this book was entertaining and an easy read. I look forward to reading more of Sherman Alexie’s work.
I honestly liked Flight a lot more the second time I read it. At first I was a little bit bored with the rudimentary language and simplistic style that Alexie uses, but after reading through the whole book it made perfect sense. I loved how his character’s journey through time was connected with each different person that he ended up being. They don’t seem connected at first, but he does an awesome job of tying everything together at the end.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what Pay said about being who you are meant to be and respecting yourself first. I think that’s what Alexie was getting at throughout the book, and that your journey shapes your identity. Zits had a hard childhood, filled with instability and abuse, but ultimately his past and the choices he made helped him discover who he really was and that it was okay to be that person. I love how significant the end is; that something as small as clearing up his acne will make him brand new, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. He comes to a place where he is comfortable with himself, so much so that he is finally able to use his name because of the transformation that has taken place.
Since anything I would say about the book has already been said by others using far better language then I would reiterate it with, I will instead purpose something that occurred to me about the author’s use of the name Zits. The obvious answer is the character was named Zits because he has acne problems. But if you dig a little deeper you wonder, wouldn’t someone name themselves differently? Why accept such a personal put down as a title. I believe what Alexie was shooting for by writing the character like this was a sense of low self worth. The character feels his life is a waste from the get go and therefore willing accepts such an awful title for a name. This sets up the scene in our minds without us even realizing it of what the journey will touch on for both the “protagonists” (zits) and us the readers.
ReplyDeleteI started reading Flight about a week before it was due hoping to finish It in time but I finished in two days, it was a really easy read and I loved it! I get really compassionate for people and throughout this book I kept feeling so sad for Michael (Zits), I mean who really likes to be called Zits? To me that showed that had had almost no self worth. I also thought that it was sad because he had no stable home and he had so much built up emotion and hate and sadness that he could never get out, which led to his behavior with drugs and guns.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the story was so interesting I was kind of confused of the reasoning of some of his different out-of-body experiences. I feel like the parts where he is his father, or when he is helping the white soldier escape with the Indian boy, can relate to the story but I can’t think of the purpose of him becoming the white pilot who was caught cheating on his wife?
I started thinking about the wellbriety video we watched and about how much forgiveness they talked about and I wondered if Michael (Zits) also came to that realization throughout his journey. I thought that he forgave himself for everything that he had done and I kind of feel that he started forgiving his father because he wanted to move on into his new life and he didn’t want his past to effect him anymore.
Honestly, at first I was NOT excited what so ever to read a book. I hate to read lol. After reading a few pages, I got hooked. I hope this doesn't sound horrible, but I loved his way of thinking and how he is such a smart a**. It kept me interested and entertained. I thought his characters were quite interesting. It all made sense in the end why everything was happening to him. He was a troubled kid who was not going anywhere good with his life. Had he not experienced life as others, he wouldn't have realized all he came to realize in the end and would have kept going down a dark path. I think it's very sad how his mom died and he holds her promises against her still even after she was gone. This story makes you really think about your own life in a way and how you should be grateful for what you have because there are so many people out there just like Zits who don't have anything.
ReplyDeleteLast quarter I read another book which is called “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”. It is the same writer with “Flight”. Before reading this book, I thought this book is also about Indians and Indians’ culture. After reading this book, I found this book talked more about Zits. And Zits became different people in this book. The writer wanted us to know more about Indians from these different characters.
ReplyDeleteI think the author chose good topics in this book. The writer separated different characters and every character had each meaning. And every character could help us understand Indians’ culture. Such as the policeman, he showed us Indians really loved their parents and partners. Actually, we have already read some books about Indians. But the writer separated different characters to introduce the Indians which really attracted me. It made this book a little bit special.
In addition, I was impressed by this story. At the beginning, Zits drank alcohol and gave up his life. But when he became various bodies and he had some new opinions about life. So at the end of this book, Zits had a new life.
@ Hannah... OMG you read it a second time?!!! Way to go girl! I finished this book in 2 days... That was hard to do but well worth it.
ReplyDeleteI hope there's a second book to this. I wouldn't mind reading it just for fun :)
Flight really surprised me! I had read "The Absolutely True Diary of A Part Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie that had a funny, light-hearted twist on more serious topics. I was very surprised to find out that Flight was not like this. The tone was much darker, with graphically violent scenes and more adult themes like death and sexuality. With saying that, I really did enjoy the book; I love fast page-turners. I thought Sherman Alexie's word choice was very appropriate for the book with its topics and characters. At first I was surprised about how graphic it was. Although, I don't really know why now... I should've known the word choice would not be very formal coming from the narration of a rebellious teenager. The book provides insight to the topics like racism, classism, and discrimination. As Zits is in these positions of the characters(corrupt FBI agent, a boy who witness the last stand of Crazy Horse, an soldier who leads an assault on an Indian village, a flight instructor, and a homeless Indian drunk), he seems to emphasize the lines of morality that can drive people to kill. Zits is forced to confront assumptions like the Native American stereotype that they are victims, the validness of historical records and heroes, and the bad will he has created towards his father. His whole life, way of living and making decisions is brought into question. I think Michael really find his identity at the end and realizes some very important things. He matures greatly throughout the book. And although the book is fiction, I think it holds a fearful truth of our world today.
ReplyDeleteI liked reading the book. I was a foster mom for many years and did not realize how just waking up to different smells really made a difference. I wish we could all have time to think before we did something like the shooting at the bank. It would be nice to have such a clear moment before you do something that is going to make some many differences in somemany lives. Everything is so rushed today. Hardly leaves time to stop and ponder things. I can also see how if anyone shows a person attention or love how willing we are to please them, even at ours and others expense. shooting the people in the bank would have been his way of showing his love for justice, but would not have shown it for himself or anyone else. When i look at an Indian person i don't think of that right off i wonder when they look at me is all they see a heavy white woman? pretty sad when we do that. i did enjoy reading the book and i wish i could give him a hug and let hijm know how much we all mean to somebody even when were not sure.
ReplyDeleteJust one more thing I felt like the words he used were riviting and kept me reading. I felt like he was telling me the story personally and was waiting for my reaction. I could just imagine some of the looks on my face while I was reading there were even some times when I couldn't help but laugh. I am going to read some more of his writings, it was interesting.
ReplyDelete@Avorachak - I read it like three weeks ago, so I read it again this past week to refresh my memory =)
ReplyDelete@Stephanie - I like what you wrote about forgiveness, not only that Zits forgave himself, but his father as well. I hadn't really thought about that while I was reading, but it totally is a crucial part to Zit's new life and his ability to move on.
@Hannah- After reading this book, I was a little bit bored because I didn’t know what the relationship is between these different chapters. Maybe I think I need to read this book again and find something new.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say my initial impressions of the book Flight was huh, I am lost……. right from the beginning. From the first, character Zits, with his struggles to find somewhere to fit in and somewhere to call home. I have never been an orphan or spent anytime in a foster home, they way he explains it quickly and with detail held my interest. You immediately can feel Zits pain, walk through his struggles and understand why he feels like such an outcast. It was heart breaking and very eye opening.
ReplyDeleteThe next character that Zit lives is his attempt at as a bank robber……I did not see that coming. Sherman Alexie keeps introducing new characters and keeps the existing ones in play throughout the book. I felt it was a web of intrigue and a mystery that I had to continue to read to figure out the next clue. Zit experiences life as a white FBI agent and see’s how life through another lens. I like how the character continually remembers things and realizes he is in the past. The author continually keeps you guessing throughout and causing you to think about the choices we make and how they affect all of us to the end of our day. The ending made sense of the book for me, it made the character realize the truth may not be as we see it, that there is always another side and another person’s truth. How profound to realize that, what you may think to be truth is really our version of it. Our hurts and trials can get in the way of knowing all the facts. Not to quickly judge someone even though they may hurt us. Profound for me anyway!!!
What an interesting book! ;)
ReplyDeleteI had the same thoughts Hannah had about “Flight.” I didn’t care for his crude language throughout the book and at times it didn’t seem necessary but after reading the whole book it didn’t seem to so bad. It allowed the reader the hear what Zits was really thinking. Like many of you already mentioned the book was about how Zits realized who he was through becoming different people. I agree with you Hannah about how Alexie was making the point in this book that your journey shapes your identity.
“Flight” was a great read. I thought idea of going into different people like Hank, the Indian boy, the pilot, Gus, and Zits’ father was a unique and fun way to get the reader to understand what Zits’ emotional problems were and who he was. Stephanie worded it well in her post when she said that Zits’ life was based on sadness and hatred from his past that he couldn’t get out of which led to his behavior with drugs and guns. Zits thought that killing others would make people feel the pain he was feeling inside. He was bitter, hated life, but ultimately ever knew or experienced love. When he became different people throughout the book he began to see what kind of person he was. At first I wasn’t sure how Alexie was going to tie the book up at the end but he did a great job of it when he made Zits finally realize the anger he had inside him was wrong and decides to turn himself into Officer Dave. It was great to find out was Zits’ real name was (Michael) and that the family (Officer Dave, his brother and wife) really cared and loved him for who he was.
I think Sherman Alexie is a great writer. Not once was I bored of reading “Flight.” I read his other book “The Absolute True Dairy of a Part Time Indian” a couple years ago and thought that “Flight” was similar to it although this book seemed to be more violent. When I first started reading “Flight” I actually didn’t realize that it was by the same author and sure enough it was! So from reading his other book “The Absolute True Dairy of a Part Time Indian” I did have a sense of how “Flight” was going be just with how he wrote the other book and the similar character of a troubled poor Indian teenager. If you liked “Flight” I recommend reading the “The Absolute True Dairy of a Part Time Indian”.
I think Sherman Alexie tries to show us that nobody has an easy life,unlike the more problems you have in your life, you learn to appreciate more what you are and what you have, I think our society often forget that cause our way of life, the boy learned a lot in his travels through time and about each person who personifies, well, i guess the most important message of the Writter, know your roots and apreciate them
ReplyDeleteFlight was a very good read my eyes were glued to the pages it was almost a problem. I really like the way Sherman Alexie wrote the plot of Flight by portraying Zits in the bodys of other people at different times so zits could learn more about indians and being an indian. The word choice used was necessary in flight because zits was the one talking throughout the whole story and Alexie did a good job getting zits voice out throughout the story. As i was reading the first part of the book i was confused and didn't really follow the story but once zits started taking the bodies of different people after the bank shooting i started to understand the plot of flight. Zits was a troubled kid who made a mistake. when he went through all of the different bodies he was able to realize what he did was wrong and came out a new zits when he awoke.
ReplyDeleteover i would give this book 5 stars out 5 and think it should be a required text.
Ian-
Flight by Sherman Alexi was definitely a easy read. I was able to get through the book in a day no problem. At first I found the main character Zits to be a very odd person, but after i kept reading and became used to the character I found him to be quite funny. After the bank shooting i thought the story was going in a completely different direction. I thought Zits was having a DMT death trip or something. But as i kept reading each character Zits became had something to do with zits, he went on he was able to see the flaws in himself. It was a moving story with a very happy ending. This book was a fun read and i would definitely recommend this book to anybody who wants an easy read.
ReplyDeleteThis is an easy and interesting book.Sherman Alexi's words are easy to follow. Like the book's name Flight, the main character Zits has many flights in others' bodies with different people because of the time-through. Moreover, because of those flights let him understand more about life and people. I think those flights made him change and grow up. And chief Dave play a role that lead him into a normal life.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I like Sherman's view that have time-through in the book. Based on what I know, people like to read something are different from normal. Time-through is one kind of styles that attract people to read.
Because of the time-through, Zits has more different experience about life which made him change. It is so good to have a happy ending. And the ending becomes the best part of the book. Zits believe people and respect them. I think Sherman write this book to remind us to be nice to others, and make change when it's necessary.
Like a few other people have said i also found flight to be an easy read and i enjoyed more then i thought i would. Sherman Alexie has a very interesting style of writing its very simple and straight forward and easy to get sucked in. I recently read a study on the internet that said swearing reduces pain. I think zits swore because it was a way for him to vent out his rage in a way he was a very angry kid and in great pain. I think he also swore at his foster family because other foster family's didn't respect him and abused him and swearing at them was a way for him to show disrespect. I was surprised when zits witnessed the indian battle and how graphic it was. I found it interesting even though it was really brutal since i'm uneducated on indian history. I also thought it was interesting how when zits was in someone else's body he could feel their emotions along with his own, how he could be someone else and himself at the same time. I enjoyed reading flight and the author made it really easy for me to understand the feelings of zits and all his charactors
ReplyDeleteFlight was a super easy to read book. There were not many large vocabulary words. I think the book had a great outcome, but the book is not something I would ever decide to pick for myself. I am not sure if I liked how easy to read it was. I felt like I was reading a 12 year old book. I understand it was from the characters point of view, and he was a young teen. Anyway, I think the authors word choice was good for the intended audience. Like raleighh212 said, I am also uneducated when it comes to indian history, all I know is the stuff they teach us elememtary school. The characters were easy to connect with for me in the book. I know a lot of kids who have the same mind set as Zits. What I got out of the book, is that every person needs love in their life. Being a teenager is hard, but after experiences and having different people in your life, it shapes you into a person, better or worse. In zits case, the characters he becomes changes him because he sees so much of the 'unseen' things he doesnt know, the other side of the story. I liked the book, but it wasn't a favorite of mine.
ReplyDeleteI concur with the opinions of my peers, it was easy to read and a well composed representation of a message that we are all unique and have our problems. The way the story was presented made it effortless to sympathize with his feelings throughout the book. The simplistic style made it more personal, more of a casual dialogue rather that an educational text. At times, the level of simplicity almost annoyed me because I prefer more complicated texts with multiple layers of understanding and large spectrum of vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of vocabulary, I did not care for the use of crude and inappropriate words personally either. However the word choices Sherman Alexi uses, makes the characters, especially Zits, come to life. Rather than being always flawless and correct, as many books often portray the man characters, it helps point out his flaws. At the same time, it helps portray his character and the maturity levels he goes through, emotionally, personally, and so on.
I feel that the message behind identity “Zits”, motivations, history, revenge, being a teenager, being abused, moving homes and schools a lot, making choices, and many of the other unmentioned characteristics brought out in the book is that the world is full of pain and sorrow, where people fight against each because of differences, unable to see the good in the uniqueness, but what is really important is how one deals with those tough and painful situations that matter. Throughout the pestimistically dark events that are hurled at the main character in “Flight,” it made me think about my own life. It made me extremely grateful. I made me feel that my life really isn’t that bad, sometimes we may feel like the world is ending, but it’s just one of the tough hills in life that will ultimately make us stronger.
I thought “Flight” was compelling; Alexie’s choices of words helped me stay in tuned with the book. At first I thought it was going to be a boring read but, I was instantly hooked. The way that Alexie wrote, you could tell that he’s a smart ass and I can relate. I guess that’s why I got so hooked to the book. His character, Zits, was the definition of a stereotypical teen. Although he had some tragic events in his life, the death of his mother and moving from foster home to foster home; it was his attitude that I felt like most of us could relate to. The typical teen, trying to find his/herself. I think Alexie was trying to say that most of us may go through a dark stage in of lives but, it is our choice to grow and learn from those mistakes to better ourselves.
ReplyDeleteMy first thoughts about the book and Sherman Alexie, in general, are that you can really tell that he has a great connection with what he's writing about. Of course, him being a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Native American has something to do with it, but he just shows you through his writing that he's passionate about what his characters are feeling. Does that make sense? I'm not sure that it does, but we'll see. I really like his writing style because it's easy to read, it's easy to understand and there's a lot of depth to it. Because he has such a connection with what he writes about, it gets you connected with it too when you're reading it.
ReplyDeleteEven when you haven't necessarily been through things like abuse, living in foster homes, and everything else, you still can connect with it in some way because we've all been teenagers and we know that things can be tough and there's a lot to go through.
Alexie's writing is thought out and put into words that express feelings and thoughts in a way that is interesting to read and, in a way, captivates you and your own thinking.
I had such an open mind when I sat down to read this book, I don’t know if it was a good week or something, but im happy I was in a chill mode then hyped up when reading it.I sailed through it in two sessions. His word choices were simple, and his writing in general wasn’t very challenging. But I ENJOYED that because I feel my vocabulary isn’t always the best. I Felt connected to him right away. I felt his writing was personal. His topics were right down to the bone. He didn’t hold back, and I really enjoyed his approach on non sugar coated topics. His characters were all over the board. But I really enjoyed when he was just being Zits. At first I thought, what a hopeless, punkass character!! But then everything began to change.
ReplyDeleteSherman Alexie definitely opened the door for us all to view the hardships of a native American living in and out of foster homes After being abused by an aunt’s boyfriend and other foster parents, and switching schools, I don’t blame him for wanting to run away from it all. Even though he experienced a lot of other people’s lives, I never thought he was trying to be anyone but himself. He was angry, fed up and hopeless and I felt like he wanted to remain that way. He needed all his ‘out of body and mind ‘ experiences to really see the light. Even people back then had to go thought problems just like us. It’s how we deal with them though. I feel like he learned a lot about walking away from things when he was in his fathers shoes. And I think he realized that’s not what he wants to do.
I enjoyed Sherman Alexie, his simple but complex ideas., I want to read another book. Any recommendations?
@KArlos.....rock on. nicely said!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Sherman Alexie's book, I'm guessing its about him, I have a few chapters I'm finishing tonight. Anyways, the boy and I have a ton in common both native and Irish, both homeless youth in the streets of Seattle. I felt connected because of his jaded sarcasm. I also like how he talked to himself and he captured random thoughts. People with humor like have felt pain . His expression is amazing. The book also taught me alot about history and the human heart. Very great author!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the book was an easy read and didn't have large vocabulary but, that's one of the reasons why it's was enjoyable to me. It was a break from the typical college textbooks, which tend to be boring most of the time.
ReplyDelete"Flight" was a quick read for me with enough chaos and abrupt changes to the story to keep my interest. My initial reaction while reading the first half of the book was complete confusion as he shifted from one consciousness to another. Alexie's use of these different times or personas is a captivating way of visualizing the emotions and troubled past of an orphaned youth. Zits is forced to confront his fears, his anger, his heritage, and with each new persona he learns a little more about himself. When he finally gets back to the real world he awakes a new person, with a new life and outlook. “Flight” is an interesting book book told in a new way that I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteActually, it was the second book I have read written by Sherman Alexie. The first book I read from him is ''The Absolutely True Diary of a Part- time Indian. Consistent his own style, the main characters of both books are Indian boys, who have climbed many tough hills in their lives and finally become a better and stronger person. Also, by portraying the boys' feeling with his national identification, we can know more about the culture, struggling, history of Native Indian American. Besides the characters, these two books also use crude, easy words and dialogue, and written in a first- person way. It is good because we can get involved into the characters' emotion effortlessly. Throughout the book, the minds of the characters are illustrated simply and directly, so it is easy to follow and understand. What's more, I like the sense of humor in this book even it is supposed to be sad. The black humor make me feel easy, make me get depth in the meaning as well .
ReplyDeleteAdopting the similar background of the characters and the words style of these books, the plots and the message brought about are not the same though. In this book, Alexie wrote a more fantastic story about a misunderstood Indian boy, Zit, who accidentally travels through the time line and gets into the bodies of different people. In this way, Zit understands more about the course and effect among the history, people and events. As he knows more, he gets more mature and sympathetic, and learn how to deal with his sadness, rage, and unfortunate past.
In this book, I like the parts most are the Indian War and Zit being his father. In the war, we can see that people shouldn't be divided into the white and Indian groups, but the good and bad people. The young white soldier impresses me a lot because he sacrifice himself in return of justice, and for the originally military goal: defending people. I appreciate him very much because he never changes his stand. Besides it, revenges takes revenges, it is a circle and never- stop.
For the part of getting into his father body, I learn how to forgive someone's faults when the shoe is on the other foot. Sometime, we shouldn't judge a person or thing by a signal angle. Instead, we should try to analyze the cause and think in other ways. Even though we don't understand, we should forgive them because everyone take mistakes, and I do. In this scene, Zit can make a full stop of his unfortunate childhood and forgive his father.
Last but not least, the world is full of sorrow and pain, everyone has their dark side and sadness, just like the characters in the story. Yet, we should try our best to deal with it and change our life being positive. Try to be perfect in this imperfect world. Struggling is the most amazing part of a life, and what the actual meaning of a human beings is. No pain no gain. Enjoy the day in every way.
it seems like so many people have read his other book, and it made me want to also so i ordered it today :) but anyways,
ReplyDelete@freckes_r_angelkisses, i had never thought that this book could be about Sherman Alexies life, that would be interesting to find out. also very sad.
also i agree with almost everyone when they say that he paints such a great picture with his words and he makes it so easy to relate to all of his experiences even though i have never been any of that personally. he really is a great writer.
Flight was surprisingly enjoyable to sit through. It’s just the kind of book you want to have assigned for a class, one that’s a light read and manages to keep your interest. I hadn’t read anything else by Sherman Alexie before Flight but I might try and check out more of his work after this. He really captured the mind of this fifteen year old kid and managed to put things into perspective. My personal stereotypes for Native Americans did not involve alcoholism or homelessness; I had no idea that those were issues. Contemporary Native Americans along with the history exposed in this book was all pretty new to me. Overall I’m glad I read this book, the subject matter defiantly makes me feel more aware than I was before.
ReplyDelete@delisuki
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your opinions. Maybe sometimes the world is unfair for some people. But all we can do is overcome our pain and sadness.
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ReplyDeleteThe first day, I read about 25 pages. I saw a boy was ignored by the society. He would never learn to be a gentleman. He doesn’t care anything, even himself. Be honestly, I cannot understand his lack of concern. However, following the stories, Sherman Alexie wrote not only the time traveling but also the past of Zits. I can feel Zits’s heart was sharply cut again and again from the foster families. Even his only relative hurts him hardly. Zits become to learn to lock himself into his own world. It is so hard to let him to believe others. This makes him to become extreme. I think when he rushed into the bank and shot everyone in the bank, his heart was not touched at all. The experience from his life made him to become cold and detached. I guess when he pushed the trigger; these lives were more like numbers and symbols to him. Following the time traveling, he learned that lives are not numbers and symbols, the lives are vivid.
ReplyDeleteIn his first traveling, I think he learned that there are always conflicts between people. The world is still dark; however, he had a partner who cares about him. When he saw his partner Art killed the young Indians brutally, he recognized how brutal he was in the bank. He began to think about lives.
ReplyDeleteIn his second traveling, he learned the meaning of revenge. He began to doubt revenge. He was hesitated about cutting throat of the young soldier. It was an improvement. He started to think about the innocent people killed in the bank. It is very guilty comparing the innocent people killed with the doubted revenge.
His third traveling is a turn point. He saw a young white soldier saved the Indian boy. They are supposed to be enemy. The young soldier’s kindness touched him. I think the traveling gives an end to the second one. I think if Zits returned to the second traveling, he would give up revenge.
The fourth traveling seems not related to the whole story. When you think deeply and carefully, it is not hard to find that this traveling is another improvement. He learned to feel guilty even he was not the person who killed people directly. Jimmy felt guilty about teaching Abbad to fly.
Finally, Zits became his father; the man who was supposed to be responsible for Zits’s lost. His father is definitely a loser; simultaneously, he also knew how his grandfather treated his father badly. It seems that it is a cycle. You really do not know who to blame. Maybe Zits’s grandfather was treated badly from his great-grandfather.
I think these five stories helps Zits walk away from his own world step by step. He was touched from killing innocent people, from doubted revenge, from forgiveness between enemies, from guilty of indirect killing, from his father. These five stories formed five steps to lead Zits to learn the real society.
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ReplyDeleteI Found the book very good and it really showed how rough life can be for some. He used very good and descriptive words to help describe what was going on and it showed how mistakes can really teach you a lesson. Zits seemed to be what everyone would think a teen was like and gets into many problematic situations, he was able too overcome them in many ways of his own.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the novel Flight by Sherman Alexie, I start to appreciate how much Native Americans have to struggle throughout the American history. I do not know too much about Native Americans before I came to this class, and this novel’s depiction of a 15-year old Indian-Irish orphan’s psychological struggling is both new and heavy! It gives me good insights into the desperation that Zits is going through in a series of crisis situations in the history.
ReplyDeleteAlexie has really good imagination power when he writes these out-of-body experiences that Zits has gone though, from shooting in a bank robbery, to FBI agent killing Indian activists, to the bloody Battle of Little Big Horn, to a modern day pilot teaching a terrorist, and finally to be in his father’s body, who betrayed him when he was young. The overwhelming theme of violence is portrayed in each situation and creates questions about the morality of the murders and killings. These questions make me to ponder on the violent scenarios that Zits is forced to encounter and cause me to further question what justice really means.
After reading the book I come to the realization that vengeance is not the answer to the problems in the society and violence will only lead to more violence. This is what Alexie wants to convey in his novel, and I could not agree more with him. In fact, I do not think Zits’ character fits Native Americans alone; any children of minority group in any society (not only limited to the racial context but also people who are socially disadvantageous) could have faced the same struggle and had the same hatred towards other members of the society. The good ending of the novel is a little bit more comforting than its opening and brings out the hope of reconciliation.
After reading this book i have to say wow! When i first got it i had the typical thinking of this is just another school book i am going to have to read and it wont be that interesting but i was very wrong. The story and adventure of the 5 time traveling events that Zits goes through from the beginning to end was very eye opening in the modern social look and reaction towards Native Indian folk and the strives that they have been through. Overall, i thought the story was great, with each chapter(s) being an individual story that builds upon each other. For me the story of Gus and the battle of morals hit home most, since i felt the most connection with the characters that were there. I thought that the language in the story was very simplistic, coming from the voice of a fictional 15 year old, it felt as if it stayed that way through out Zit's 'controlled' speaking parts, but grew stronger and more 'guided' i want to say as he learned each lesson from each adventure. I think that the overall story is supposed to show and invigorate those who read to help express that justice in a non revenge manner needs to be placed and settled between the White and Indian societies and that revenge truly doesn't solve anything, it only runs in circles and can destroy all, that people hold dear.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading Flight. It was a bit of an easy read but that doesn’t make it bad, it just helped me read through it faster which was nice because I really liked the whole storyline and just really wanted to see where he was going in the end!! :P
ReplyDeleteI read another student’s comment saying that she didn’t like the crude language that was used but I personally l liked it a lot. I, myself, don’t use that language in life but it gave us, the readers, the ability to be more in his shoes as we went through the story. It helped us to get a better perspective on his thoughts in life and we were able to truly picture (as close as possible) what this boy was like. If Sherman Alexie used proper language throughout the whole book it just really wouldn’t fit the boy’s personality and actions. I’m not saying that all rebellious punk kids have a nasty mouth, I’m just saying it fit the character better and helped me fit in the character’s shoes more.
I feel that all the scenarios the boy was put through were him battling over what is good and bad in his life. He was at a point in his life where he was truly craving love but didn’t understand it or know it. He only knew hurt and was unsure on how to act upon. When he met Justice, he wanted his attention, support, affection (this all being love), but then when Justice planned the bank robbery, our narrator had an uneasy feeling of whether or not it was something he wanted to do. He hit a point in his life where he was tired of pain and tired of running. After strangely going through many life moments he learned that he doesn’t have to continue a life of pain and has seen worse and probably has learned that he can be thankful for the things he has.
It was a great ending to see him in a safe home with a mother and father figure who will love and nurture him the proper way a family should. All in all, great read.
Dustin, I also wanted to add it was an enjoyable read for me because I don't have a big vocabulary either. I also like that I didn't have to sit and wonder what words meant while reading. I was able to admire the dialogue and pay attention to the grammer. I'm encouraged to read more books like this. I usally don't read fiction either. But on other added notes in general I didn't have a problem with his language. I do feel like words are a powerful tool and choose not to curse as much as possible. Zits was a huge exception it was part of his raw personality it fit with being a homeless hurt young man.... I didn't even mind being a Christ follower that he used God's name in vain, because of the humanity of the zits. He often used God's name in vain but also relyed on God in the conscience and prayed a few times in the book.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this book. Alexie has great voice in his writing and it made it easy to make an initial connection to Zits and to stay engaged in the story. I’m embarrassed to admit it but I’m still trying to figure out exactly what was really happening to Zits during his “time travel.” Reading this book was basically the equivalent of watching a season of Lost. At times I found Alexie’s writing to be almost poetic and I loved his repetitive language and metaphors, like how he always associated the smell of “beer and onions” with bad people. It helped me stay on track with the story and provided insight with his development as a person. It’s a simple metaphor that I personally believe just signifies how people associate scent with memory, and this is why as he’s transforming into these other characters this trigger of his own self still sticks with him. It helped me empathize with him as Zits while he was being forced to act as Hank and Gus and Jimmy. It might sound like I’m reaching pretty far with this conclusion but I think the characters that Alexie chose for Zits to form into were symbols of Zits’ inner struggle with his identity. Each character lived during a time with heavy political events surrounding race and he was forced to commit murder or suicide in all of the “lives” he took on. It was as if he was killing off the stigmas he associated with each specific race. Like he was killing the black and white thinking he used when he was trying to identify with his racial mix. The fact that the characters he embodied still seemed to maintain their “soul” allowed Zits to empathize with the people he was acting as them and I found it interesting that each character had its own individual “soul strength” so to speak.
ReplyDeletesometimes leave the prejudices of others and Enjoying the life your way without getting into the lives of others can be better:)
ReplyDelete@beegirl24
Thank u so much :)
@Michael_Marsh
ReplyDeleteGreat observation! I hadn’t thought about that detail until you pointed it out. The acceptance of such a negative nickname definitely signifies Zits’ self loathing. That’s a smart way for Alexie to set the stage in a story where Zits is constantly seeking acceptance and love.
JerRob，
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Alexie's writing. One thing amazing is that Alexie added the past of Zits during the time traveling, however, the overall structures are not mixed at all. It is easy to understand which is past and which is time traveling. The connections between the past and the time traveling are very clear and the story is easy to follow. Although the vocabularies are easy, you can feel the emotions deeply.
I really enjoyed reading Flight. As the sentence shows on the cover, "Raw and vital, often raucously funny...there isn't a false word in it.", it was interesting to read the book. The whole book is easy to understand. There are twenty one chapters in the book, I almost spent one week finishing reading it without rush.
ReplyDeleteZits is the main character in the book. Although that's not his real name, everybody calls him Zits. He's a poor guy because he doesn't have family. Sherman Alexie painted his main character sharply.
A young man called Justice became Zits' friend by chance. Justice told Zits that the only way to get rid himself of the anger is simmering inside him. I was glad to see such a good man help Zits understand he was not alone and someone cared about him.
The real world is a complex society. People gain a lot but they lose something at the same time. We should treasure whatever we have now, because we will never know how the future would be.
Anyway, Flight is a wonderful book. I will recommend this book to my friends.
I thought the book was actually pretty interesting and easy to follow without boring myself to death. It was a nice and refreshing change from the normal English based books. The language didn't bother me at the least, it was actually comical to hear an author swear as much as him. His characters brought life to the book, each and every one of them. The life his characters lived were pretty sad though. I think the most heartbreaking one was reading about the foster homes. Can you just imagine what it would be like to walk a day in his shoes? Certainly not for most of us. just sad.... :(
ReplyDeleteOverall, “Flight” was a very fun and easy read. I didn’t mind the crude language as I usually do in books, just because it seemed to give the main character more personality and attitude. Zits was such a messed up and rebellious character, I would have been surprised if his mind wasn’t equally as so. Throughout the book, it didn’t seem like Zits went through any change of character until the very end. Lucky for him that time warp happened before he decided not to shoot the bank up, or he would’ve been in some deep, life ruining trouble.
ReplyDeleteAlexie finally wraps up his book with Zits accepting who he is, and he has the control to do whatever he wants with his life. Originally, Zits is an unmotivated teen with poor self-esteem issues. Unfortunately he lets his poor self-image integrate with the stereotypes society has made up for him, which leads him to believe he will always be what others think of him. After his time warp adventure, Zits realizes that he makes his own destiny, and if he wants to be accepted in society he’s got to learn respect for himself and others.
Relating this book to class, that may be one reason why this book was assigned to read; so we understand that we can do whatever we want with our lives and education, and to succeed we have to overcome our own barriers.
Honestly, this book "Flight" was a great but at the same time very odd read. I really appreciate the learning journey Zits brings you on throughout the book. It really gives you a first-hand account of the fights and struggles of Indians in history. I found it extremely sad that he had such an unfortunate past with moving from foster home to foster home. I've never read anything like "Flight" before so it was really enlightening to finally learn information about Native American history.
ReplyDeleteI actually really liked his word choice; I've grown used to reading books with foul language and actually think it has a good way of enhancing the characters and the overall story being told. When Zits is cussing out his foster parents it lets you understand his anger that has built up over the years of being passed from home to home. As Zits is time traveling through the different time periods a number of topics are brought up, one of them is having to learn how to respect yourself and others. Respecting himself come hard for Zits because he absolutely hates everything about himself. So it really took a lot to let him know that he is loved and that he can start a new life after the realizations that occurred during his time traveling.
The whole part about him being in his father’s shoes was a little crazy for me. His father demanded respect from everyone he came across, and you only realize it is his father after he pulls the picture of young Zits from his wallet. This lets Zits know that his father went through a lot of struggling and turmoil before he decided to leave Zits and his mother. This was a big turning point in the book. Finally, I really liked this book and even though it was a short read, it gave me some history about Native Americans and their overall history.
I believe you asked us to read Sherman Alexie’s “Flight” so that we could get to experience more than just one point of view on Native Americans throughout history and in todays society. That is what I enjoyed most about this novel. We had the chance to see what different people thought and their attitudes towards the Native Americans and white people in many different eras by only reading one book. To be honest, my initial impression of this book was not a very good one. I didn’t like how blunt “Zits” was in the beginning and the way he was acting toward his foster family and to people in general flat out aggravated me. I have always felt that people needed to have a sort of respect with everyone even if you have gone to hell and back. Those experiences should make you stronger.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, his word choice was very blunt. However, that does make it very easy to understand, especially for our generation which is straight to the point. The topics seemed very relevant and I like how this book was written in 2007. I didn’t exactly like the characters during all of the killing, but I understand how they were necessary to get certain points across. I can see little pieces of “Zits” inside many people at the high school I attend and I enjoyed how you got to see him grow throughout the whole story.
I think that Sherman Alexie is saying that how you’ve been treated in the past and the things you have gone through directly affect your future if you let it. Almost everyone who has been hurt before has wanted to get revenge. But true strength is growing from others mistakes so that you do not have to go through the pain all over again. Alexie explains that if you grew up not knowing true respect, the normal dynamics of a family, what a role model is like, being respected, and truly loved, that the pattern is sure to repeat itself. We cannot just pass off people like “Zits” as being arrogant, annoying, rude, self-destructive teenagers, because that is all they really know how to be because of the way they were brought up. They need to be shown compassion and love in order to become the great people they were meant to become.
In the end, I am very glad you had us read this book because it was very eye opening and easy to relate to.
Well to answer the first question I’d have to guess. I guess you want something in class to discuss. It gives us topic for conversation and contemplation. It would help us challenge the concepts that we currently describe to, and to challenge our ability to communicate our ideas to others via visual form, aka writing stuff down. You may be asking ‘where did I ask this’? Clearly on top it says “why did I ask you to read Sherman Alexie’s ‘Flight’”? So there is my answer Now on to the other questions. I really liked reading ‘Flight’. ‘Flight’, was written, unlike this word, in everyday vernacular, minus the language depending on who you are, and a very easy read. It was thoroughly enjoyable and hard to put down, which is rare for me. At first I was repulsed by the word choice, but after reading a few chapters I quickly saw that this was a story told as if it were happening right in front of you. It then twisted, in the literal, blink of an eye and suddenly the story was all about someone else. This threw me off for a while. However I liked how Alexie told two sides to the tale, how both white and Indians suffered and how he portrayed that there was two side to this coin neither necessary being right, but that revenge, which seemed to be at the heart of the tale, is what we need to be fought against. Toward the end you see our main character increasingly struggling with the thought of what to do and how to feel. His understanding of the world changed from one of a narrow self-centered view, to that of a much broader that wrestled with how to view and interact with the people around him. This in turn challenges me to think outside my limited box of perspective and try to consider what the other people surrounding me every day are facing, living with and have in their past.
ReplyDeleteThis book was really something else and I definitely enjoyed reading it. I believe the word choice, although most deem to be poor, was actually rich in the sense of creating a strong connection between the reader and the main character, allowing for a smoother and deeper read. Even through Zits’ journey through time, I never lost sight of his character. Sherman Alexie did a great job in transitioning through each time traveling experience, while still maintaining Zits’ voice. I respect Alexie’s perspective of the certain topics he touched on in the story, such as moral values, the definition of justice, and social status quo. Overall, Flight is a story that exhausts the mind, and cultivates the spirit.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading “Flight.” I think that the author did a good job of really painting the picture of “Zits” life. I feel like the language that he used was very vulgar but needed in order for the reader to really understand what “Zits” was going through. I liked how he kept me wondering what was going to happen every time I had to put the book down. It really made me feel like I was there with “Zits” when he was transferring from body to body. When “Zits” was inside each body but still had his own mind made it feel like I was there with him. He got to see every ones point of view. And what was going on in each person’s life.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t grow up in a foster home but I can relate to him in many ways. Feeling like you can’t be yourself. In the last few chapters when he explains how his mom promised she would wait for him right there and would be there when he returned from school made me feel for him. Then when he lived with Auntie Z and she was supposed to take care of him and she basically picked her abusive boyfriend over a young boy she promised to take care of, showed she was insecure with herself. When “Zits” cried himself to sleep for weeks and she yelled at him for feeling emotions and learned that he had to hide them really hit a spot in my heart. That is how I was taught growing up. To show emotions was basically showing that you were weak and that was not ok.
I am glad that he had Officer Dave in his life. Throughout all the negative and horrible things that Michael went through he showed him that there are people out there that are good people and that do care. Michael made a t statement saying that he could use all the “fathers” in his life he could get was brave of him to say. But I feel like everyone, no matter what your childhood was like, needs as many role models as we can get. I feel like at the end of the book Michael took himself out of the stereotype of the “drunken Indian” and everything else he had associated himself with. I feel like he realizes that he can be a good human being and not to give others a stereotype either.
@ Michael_Marsh, I really liked what you said about why someone would continue using a name like that for themselves. Zits was obviously always down on himself and it's like he completely gave up trying to prove himself or even be worth something to others. There would be no other reason for owning a name like that.
ReplyDelete@ Anthony Z, even though this might not have been the most normal journey of a teenager I like how you summed it up with “(Zits) doesn't necessarily know what his problems really are or what he can do to get what he wants out of life but he is sent on this journey via Alexies' reflective and thorough thought process.” This is true, Zits might not have realized what he had but after this journey he was able to appreciate his life for what it’s really worth.
Sorry, so I've attempted three times now to write a complete blog, but for some reason when I get to a certain point, the site goes back one page and deletes everything I have typed so i will be writing segments and posting them up.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first purchased Flight by Sherman Alexie, I did the first thing we weren't supposed to do: I judged the book by its cover. I honestly didn't even realize the boy on the front cover was Native American or holding two guns, i only noticed the circles that look like a target altogether. Reading the first few pages only confirmed my assumptions about how "fun" this book was going to be. However, after reading a little more, Sherman Alexie captured my attention in a whirlwind of color, imagery, and emotion. I was so caught up and drawn into the book that I just ended up finishing it one day. I regretted soon after for judging. I was very wrong.
The language actually caught me off guard. I guess you could say I'm more used to imagery and poetry kind of writing style? If that made sense, so I'm used to a lot of describing and abstract. Sherman Alexie however went right to the point and built on from that point. Although at first I felt "uncomfortable" with this style of writing, I soon grew to like how he got to the point so quickly and built on that point to bring the story to another dynamic level upward. Although the language would sometimes be, what I thought, vulgar, I think this gives the book its character and color.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really enjoyed about this book was how Sherman Alexie showed different sides of the same scenario and drew me in. I think Sherman Alexie really helped me understand each side and feel the emotions the characters were going through. When I thought Alexie would only focus on Native Americans and their history, he pointed us toward the issue of the United States' conflict with the middle east. I thought this was a good way to recapture the readers attention and helped me to take the story of Flight and apply it to not only the Native American culture and history, but other cultures as well.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I think that Sherman Alexie is saying that building your identity takes time and some tough times growing and learning. I think making choices that will affect your tomorrow, your family, history, your environment play a role in constructing your identity. Our family teaches us their tradition, culture, etiquette, etc. Our environment is the culture that we begin to live in. Our history show what kind of era we might live in again and the choices we make will affect our tomorrow and the whatever happens afterward.
ReplyDeleteFlight was an amazing book and one I hope to understand more through these disucssions. I thought I'd just say again: I really enjoyed this book and am very glad I was given a chance to read it.
This book was nothing like expected! It was incredibly addictive, probably because I found it so bizarre. I've only read one other book like this called, “Perks of Being a Wallflower” and which portrays self discovery so uniquely. The beginning of the book I was completely drawn in, despite how disgusted I was by the zit tangents. Alexie did an excellent job of illustrating distinct emotions such as self hatred, depression, anguish, and anger. The way he wrote made me feel the emotional portrayals so powerfully that I could feel this weight in my chest while reading. I was following the story and had a whole sequence of his life in my head up until he went to the bank and suddenly ended up in Hank's body. It really played with your mind at first, and I found my brain constantly trying to find the logic in every new body and scenario he ended up in. Like when he turned into the little Indian boy and the huge war broke out, I found it massively frustrating for my brain to handle. I wanted for it to be coherent and have a flow like more traditional books I've grown up on. Instead this book made me search for the meanings in each new scenario, it made me have to rearrange my logic to understand the author's plot and hidden message. In the end, with his amazing ending of self discovery about his anger and how he needed to let go, I felt it'd been an educational experience, like something my brain had never had to do before. Overall, an interesting, easy yet mind scrambling read, and a story forever embellished in my memory :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and for all of you commenting about the language, I will admit, I don't like swearing and I definitely found it offensive at first. But eventually I got over it and was able to realize why it was necessary for the character's issues and dealing with rage, frustration, etc.
I think Flight is a really easy book to read, there are not large difficult vocabulary words. As a international student, the book is not difficult to read. I usually spend 1 month to read a novel in English version because there are lots of vocabularies that I have to look up. Sometime I felt like I do not want to finish it. But I only used one week to read Sherman Alexie’s book, and I am really enjoy reading his book.
ReplyDeleteI think Sherman Alexie is a really talented writer and he has an active imagination. The main character is Zit. He was a kind of “difficult” teenager at the beginning, then he accidentally travel through the time line and gets into bodies of different people. After he experienced other’s life from different perspective, such as Hunk, and his father, He really changed. He learned the real society and the history.
i like the story!
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Sherman Alexie’s “Flight”, I thought it was similar to Sherman Alexies typical narrative. He is a bold writer, with messages that are old and have been told before, yet he so delicately weaves these themes throughout his writing that you wouldn’t be able to categorize his messages as cliché. Initially I thought that “Zits” seemed lost and unfortunate. He lacked direction and self esteem coming from a broken home with a homeless drunk father who deserted him and a dead mother. I wonder how anyone would be able to maintain direction without some kind of constant structure and moral teachings. I like Alexie’s word choices because it explains the theme of the book and makes for a more colorful, realistic character. If the thoughts of Zits didn’t match his persona and life struggle the book would have been less compelling and the message Alexie produces would not have been executed as well. I like that Alexie has a character who morphs into different people and follows their personal experiences- it is the ultimate lesson on perspective. Being able to physically put into someone else’s body and understand their world still from your point of view. I like that there are strong and weak characters in the book- all searching for purpose, dignity, money, or companionship. Being lonesome seems to be one of Zit’s biggest struggles. Through Zit’s struggles and adventures Alexie manages to explain that each person creates their own identity- that we are all looking for companionship and cannot guarantee how others perceive us- but we know that we can fight for our personal identity survival. Alexie subtly (or rather not subtly) expresses frustration towards racial divides in “Flight” and being abused and low self esteem seem to always be brought into questions when zits ponders his heritage and what it means to be “Indian”. Zits also struggles with his good and bad choices because of his lack of structure and moving. Alexie finally shows character development when Zits realizes in the end that were all different and yet equal in our struggle in life. “Maybe we’re all lonely. Maybe some of them also hurtle through time and see war, war, war. Maybe we’re all in this together.”
@yinping
ReplyDeleteI like you said that time through is a good way to attract people's attention. but you know, sometimes it makes me confusing. in Chapter three and four, when i read it, i was like what? did he flight to other's body? then, he just flight to his father's body, then he travelled again. i was just a little confusing between these chapters. Like you said, it really gets my attention because i want to figure out what's happening. i read again, then i found out the relationship between these chapters.
The book was interesting, the idea that before a life changing event someone could be thrown into other people’s lives that revolved around how that person came to be in existence is an interesting concept. The main concept reminded me of the book Five People You Meet In Heaven. In both books the main character lives, or hears about, other people’s lives that were somehow related to the main characters own. In Flight Michael went back in time and lived through the lives of his ancestors on both his father’s side and his mother’s side, seeing how the Native Americans were being treated from the point of view of his father’s ancestors and how the white people would treat Native Americans from his mother’s ancestors. At least, I believe they were his mother’s ancestors. I’m making the assumption based off of knowing that his mother had green eyes and red hair and red hair and a couple of the backgrounds where Michael was living the life of a white man he was not only in the body of Agustus, an Irish immigrant, but when he was living the life of the pilot the woman he was having an affair with was red-headed leading me to assume that they may have had a child out of wedlock due to the woman being pregnant and not being able to tell the pilot until after he killed himself. This is similar to the concept in Five People You Meet In Heaven where the main character has to talk with and see parts of the lives of different people he encountered or directly affected that he may not even have known about, before they died.
ReplyDeleteAlexie’s word choice seemed simple, though that worked very well with the story he was telling. The character was only fifteen and had very poor education up until the point of the story, having being moved from place to place, so for him to be highly articulate would have made the character very unbelievable and hard to sympathize or empathize with. He would have just been some jerk kid that acted as though he were better than the other people around him.
This book had many interesting parts, but overall i could not feel myself connecting with the book. This book was somewhat different than what i usually read, and i felt something was missing.I think what the author is trying to tell us is that life is to be lived, but trust no one.
ReplyDeleteI can tell it would have been hard for most people to not relate to this book, but personaly i have see this type of lifestyle around me as a child, and growning up in hawaii, there are many bad areas, and also struggling kids. Ilike that way the story was made, and the wordage in the book realy catched my interest. i had no problems reading the book , i would say in about five days.
ReplyDeleteI personally like reading books that make me not want to stop reading, and "Flight" turned out to be one of those books for me. The author’s use of language wasn’t formal but that didn’t bother me at all. The language brought the story to life and made it very visional and engaging. Zit, the main character, traveling through time in peoples bodies was a great way to tell the story. Through every hardship there will always be an outcome of joy, and Zit’s learned the hard way but at the end his struggles were rewarding and made him a more confident person in life.
ReplyDelete@Jingnan
ReplyDeleteYou've got similar feelings as I have.We saw a boy who was ignored by the society. The boy would never learn to be a gentleman. He doesn’t care anything, even himself. Life is not easy. Everyone has his or her background and history. Although Sherman created Zits, Zits represents a group of people in the real world.
@ Lei Zhu
ReplyDeleteWell, when I read the book, I also felt confused how he went into others' bodies. But Zit did. When he into a new body, mostly the new body will face death or some issue result death. And then Zit get into another. That's why he went through with different experience. I think we will make better understand about this book in further discussions.
"Flight" i feel was given to us to read because it binds perfectly with the culture we are learning about, and also the every day chalenges Native Americans have. I personaly feel the ending with a bit quick, to much of a fairy tail, i would have liked it to be more of a smoother transformation to him having a better life. but all in all the story took me in , and i enjoied his travels into time, and also with time, emotion that people not of his culture had. he as a person needed to feel the way the white man viewed things, and it was nice that he became a better person from doing so.I noticed that Zits would use the word Whatever alot, and it was nice to see him have honest personality near the end when things started looking up for him in life.Even though the time travel chapters kind of in a way confused me, it all came together at the end, and i personaly liked the last two chapters the most.
ReplyDeleteYea, i was also confused about the whole reason for the time travel, i know it helped him, but why? why time travel?
ReplyDeleteWow you all, thanks for a great opening discussion! I wasn't sure how it would go with everyone on one page, yet I think as a group you pulled it off! Now that we havbe Kohl's blog: www.kohllaff.blogspot.com we can spread out a bit and perhaps some of our other guest speakers will add blogs soon.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the spread of people interacting with the @so and so - it was cool to read people's personal reflections as well, yet also remember you responding to others is also important.
There are loads of posts I wish I had jumped in and commented on, yet now all I can see is the one above me. Chase there may be reasons on a number of levels for time travel, such as getting the main character to get first hand experience of history and it is also a genre in it's own right. Sherman Alexie writes/creates in a number of genres and media, so perhaps he just wanted to try another one.
Chase, he picked time travel, because in the story zits was hesitant to do sometrhing called a "Ghost Dance" his friend from Juvinile Jail convinced he to do the ghost dance, maybe to bring him so kind of closure... I also think it was a cleaver was to educate the reader about history. Don't know if that helps?!
ReplyDeleteThe Book “flight” was great book in general it wasn’t boring from all the other books that I have read. The main character was easy to keep up with. I usually hate reading books, I doubted this book from the beginning when I found out we had to read it. But Alexi made it easy to read and it went by pretty fast. The language in the book is what made it a lot more interesting at some stages zits was boring at other times he was quite entertaining so it made it worth it. It relates to teenagers and what you have to go through to grow up in life and they’re certain things that pull you down and you have to get back up. I connected real well with the book. I would recommend this book to a lot of people. You can learn a lot from it
ReplyDeleteAAHHHHHHHHH i see that now, thanks
ReplyDelete