Doris Lessing, the 2007 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, weaves a profound
narrative of generational conflict and the "rites of passage" in her short story "Flight"
. The story centers on an unnamed old man’s struggle to accept the inevitable
independence of his youngest granddaughter, Alice. A striking artistic choice in
Lessing’s technique is her refusal to use the word "cry" directly. Instead, she utilizes
physical descriptions and body language to reveal the characters' emotions
. These indirect descriptions are crucial because they mark a transformative shift in the
internal lives of both the old man and Alice.
The first point of importance is the old man’s tears, which mark the moment of his
internal surrender and selfless acceptance. We know he is crying through specific
physical cues during the story's climax: "His eyes stung... wet spread down over his
chin and he took out a handkerchief and mopped face"
. Throughout the story, the old man is portrayed as "possessive" and "jealous," using
his pigeons as a refuge to escape the pain of his other granddaughters leaving home
. His tears are important because they signify the end of his "childlike" resistance to
change
. By mopping his face and subsequently releasing his favorite pigeon, the old man
symbolically releases his grip on Alice
. This act of crying represents his victory over his own selfishness, acknowledging that
her departure is "natural and almost inevitable"
The second point is Alice’s tears at the conclusion, which signify her maturation and
newfound empathy. Alice’s crying is described with haunting imagery: she is "wide-
eyed, and pale in the cold shadow... the tears run shivering off her face"
. Although she has won the argument and secured her future with Steven, she does not
smile
. Her tears are important because they represent the end of her "carefree" childhood
. They suggest that she finally perceives the "heartbreak" her departure causes her
grandfather
. This ambiguity—whether the tears are of joy, sadness, or regret—adds depth to her
character, showing that she is no longer just a rebellious girl, but a young woman
entering a world of complex adult emotions and responsibilities
.
Finally, Lessing’s use of indirect description is vital to the story’s theme of the
"generation gap." By focusing on "lying happy eyes" or "fingers curling like claws,"
Lessing emphasizes that the most profound changes often happen in silence
. The fact that the characters communicate their deepest pain and eventual
reconciliation through tears rather than dialogue highlights the emotional gulf between
them
. It allows the reader to infer the "invisible meaning" of their actions, making the
resolution more poignant
In conclusion, the tears in "Flight" serve as the true indicators of the characters'
psychological journeys. The old man’s tears represent the "flight" of his soul from
possessiveness to bao dung (generosity), while Alice’s tears mark her first flight into
the realities of adulthood
. Through these silent expressions, Lessing captures the beautiful yet painful essence
of growing up and letting go.