Fly Away Peter Analysis

Words: 1347
Pages: 6

Fly Away Peter, published in 1982, is an Australian novel written by David Malouf. The novel is set in Queensland before the First World War and on the Western Front during the war. The protagonist in the novel, Jim Saddler is an innocent young man from the Queensland coast who is exposed to the gruesome reality of war as he eventually decides to enlist amidst the patriotic hype in Australia. In the novel, Malouf highlights Jim’s journey from innocence to experience through the use of changes in place – from peaceful Queensland to war-stricken Europe. The perpetual nature of life is reinforced by Malouf through the symbolism of birds attributable to the endless cycle of the natural world. Through the novel’s ending in which Jim's personal friend, Imogen Harcourt recollects precious memories about the late Jim’s individuality, the author emphasises the uniqueness of each and every life. …show more content…
Malouf utilises changes in place to reinforce Jim’s personal growth from innocence to experience. The beginning of the novel vividly describes the pristine …show more content…
Through changes in setting, Jim’s personal growth from innocence to experience is highlighted through his physical journey from the safe haven in Queensland to war-stricken Europe. Malouf also employs bird symbolism to reinforce the continuity of life through the endless cycle of bird migration throughout the novel. Additionally, the individuality of each and every life is underlined through the way Malouf closes the novel when the uniqueness of Jim’s life is emotionally recollected by Imogen back in