Flying

Throughout the narrative, and primarily for its central character (The Pilot), flying represents power, responsibility, and commitment. Most importantly, it also represents freedom and identity. The fact that The Pilot is prevented from actually flying does significant damage to both her experience of being free and her sense of identity, with the result that she becomes psychologically incapacitated.

The Pilot's Flight Suit

Perhaps even more than flying, The Pilot's flight suit represents and encapsulates her sense of identity. In her mind, and in the way she communicates about herself to an audience, she is a flyer. Her flight suit, worn throughout the narrative and in a variety of circumstances (including those in which her psychological well-being is clearly breaking down) serves as a representation of both that identity and her desperation to hold onto it.

The Photograph of the Pregnant Pilot

Late in her pregnancy, The...