Prometheus Allusion

Additionally, the author utilizes two distinct imagery in forms of allusions. The first allusion refers to Prometheus, which foreshadows Allie’s rebellion against Mack’s words. In the story, Mack explains that Prometheus is a titan god “who stole god’s fire and gave it to man” which parallel Allie’s acquirement of the ability to fly and gleefully showing it to her daughter (Miller 2, 4). Prometheus becomes Allie’s counterpart because her desire to revive the euphoric feeling of flying entails her to share the joy to her daughter, resembling Prometheus determination to “better the lives of his creation” (Miller 4; “Prometheus”). The next allusion refers to Icarus, who disobeyed his father’s words to not soar too close to the sun. Allie’s counterpart

is also Icarus because, just like Icarus, she disregarded warnings Mack stated, to not “ever try to fly without [him]” and “Never let them know you can fly” (Miller 1, 3). In addition, Allie flies higher than the time she flew with Mack mirror’s Icarus’ flying too close to the sun (Miller 3). Both Icarus and Allie express ecstasy in flight. Prometheus reflects Allie’s adult side while Icarus reflects Allie’s inner child. The author alluded to Prometheus and Icarus to depict Allie’s character and actions in order to understand how her childish fascination with flying evolve. Her happiness and fascination evolve to demonstrate that merriment is limitless when shared.
Lastly, the author utilizes figure of speech to emphasize Allie’s internal conflict.

The simile, “the act seem as natural as humming” illustrates the ease Allie felt when she took flight for the first time (Miller 1). This is critical to Allie’s conflict because the experience initiates a sense of confidence she had when she flew. The confidence in flight wavers as she matures because as an adult, she rationalizes her memory, whereas as a child, she was very accepting of any possibility like all children. In the same setting, the author uses an oxymoron in the statement “The microscopic world below her struck her as laughable” to heighten the adrenaline rush Allie experienced as she ascended from the ground, (Miller 1). “Microscopic world” compares the situation that she as a child felt, limitless grounds to discover and conquer, whereas in her adult world, her world is narrow, too vast to explore because there’s little time as a result of repetitive behaviors to sustain life (Miller 1). The transitioning simile at the climax of the story, in which she took the conviction to take flight once more as an adult, reestablishes her confidence to the extent that she discovers that “if she lets the wind take her, she can float through air like a swimmer in water” (Miller 3). The simile portrays Allie successfully reconnecting with the event that delighted her when she was a child as an adult, thereby portraying that childish pleasure can carry despite

age.
The overall tone of the story is jubilant and the author depicts this tone through various usage of language and setting. For the language, the author chooses diction to exaggerate and emphasize the mood and angst of Allie’s desire in order to ignite the passion which makes the atmosphere of the story jubilant. Within the imagery “the distance between the sky and earth an infinite chasm,” the phrase “infinite chasm” paints the mood of the introduction as dreamy (Miller 1). The dreamy tone of the introduction lends itself to Allie’s conflict of dream versus reality, introducing her feelings of discontent. The word “simmered” from the phrase, “the memory of flying simmered in her for years” introduces the conflict, enabling the burning desire within her and the subsequent word within the phrase, “enviously” creates the need to triumph the obstacle that hinders her (Miller 2). The following image, “wrenched her back to earth” enhances her conflict by contributing a negative tone with the word “wrenched” (Miller 2). The author utilizes the setting of her childhood to introduce the mood of a child: carefree, imaginative, unrestrained, and curious. This contrast with the setting of Allie’s current life that’s stagnant, amiss, unfulfilled, and vexed. The positive dictions presented in the story demonstrates half the tone of jubilance, and the negative dictions and settings demonstrate the other half of the tone by creating the necessary obstacles for Allie to triumph. Together, both mood creates the tone jubilant, presented when Allie successfully resolves to fly, laughing and drifting in the sky, enjoying herself too much she had to share it with her daughter.
In conclusion, the author use various techniques of language and settings in order to illustrate that jubilant childish pleasure can carry on within the individuals regardless of age, and that there’s no limitation for happiness. The setting supports the atmosphere of the story to be jubilant by paralleling past and present; and the author mirrors Allie with Prometheus and Icarus together to state that the inner child, Icarus, hasn’t left and she became Prometheus as a result. The symbolism of flying portrays liberation from conformity, establishing that happiness is limitless because there’s various forms of happiness. For Allie, flying and sharing this pleasure with her daughter is her happiness.