38 pages • 1 hour read
Ralph FletcherFlying Solo
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1998A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Flight
Flight symbolizes independence throughout the novel. This symbolism becomes clear as Rachel, the protagonist, reads a book called A Beginner’s Flight Manual because she wants to be an airplane pilot when she grows up. The book lists several steps on how to become a pilot, starting with “Simulated Solo,” where pilots practice flying in a controlled simulator experience. She then reads “Supervised Solo,” where a training pilot flies with the help of an experienced pilot, and ends with “Solo Flight” (93-94). The class mirrors these steps in the novel. When Mr. Fabiano normally teaches the class, they are in simulated solo with a very controlled experience. However, there are moments in class where they are in supervised solo, like when the students write independently but with guidance from Mr. Fabiano. When the students are alone without an adult, they finally get to attempt solo flight. Even the title of the novel, Flying Solo, is a nod to Mr. Fabiano’s class being independent from adults. Essentially, they are navigating their day without guidance and proving that they can indeed be independent.
Time
Each chapter title includes the time of day that the chapter takes place. Not only is this important to understanding the setting, but it also exemplifies the motif of time. The students only have one day to prove that they are independent and responsible students. Starting at 7:03am, the reader gets a glimpse into different mornings surrounding Mr. Fabiano’s absence. From Rachel getting up at 7:03am to the principal being in a meeting at 7:58am, the narrative gives a sense of time shifting quickly. The chapters’ time markers are especially important considering that the students are following the class schedule to show that they can do everything without an adult. They write their flashdrafts at 9:50am, attend music class at 10:30am, make it to lunch at 12:10pm, do their independent reading at 1:20pm, and go to the school assembly at 2:25pm. With all the chapter timestamps, the flow of the day connects with the theme of proving independence; the students are constantly proving that they can follow the schedule without an adult present.
Silence
Rachel’s selective mutism symbolizes the power of choice and responsibility. As a “selective mute: a person who chooses not to speak” (5), Rachel makes the daily choice not to voice her feelings and opinions after Tommy’s death. Instead, she chooses to remain silent. Several times in the novel, Rachel has moments when she is tempted to speak. For example, in music class, she “could feel the beginnings of a sound rising from some deep buried place at the bottom of her chest, itching to join in, and it was everything she could do to keep that sound down” (49). Rachel suppresses her voice even though she feels like singing with the rest of the class, because her silence gives her power over herself. She can’t overshare or hurt someone’s feelings if she doesn’t speak. When her parents divorced, Rachel felt responsible because she had scolded them for arguing so much. This makes her wish “she had kept her mouth shut” (79) because if she hadn’t said anything to them, they might still be together. Rachel’s misguided sense of responsibility for her parents’ divorce, and her guilt over how she treated Tommy before he died are what make her choose silence every day. Only at the end of the novel does Rachel finally speak, because “it felt like the right time” (137). She owns up to her responsibilities and her mistakes by the end of the novel, and her self-acceptance allows her to speak again.
