UNIT-3 TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING
HIS FIRST FLIGHT - I
The story “His First Flight” by “Liam O’ Flaherty” is about a young seagull who is afraid to fly.
All his younger siblings despite their much shorter wings flew fearlessly while he could not
gather the courage to trust his own wings. The young seagull became sad when he saw his
parents perfecting his younger siblings in the art of flying. His parents scold and taunt him
for not even trying. They even call him a “coward”. They tell him a lot to at least try and also
threaten him to leave him alone and hungry if he does not. The following day, he is left in
isolation and upon feeling hungry; he tries to seek the attention of his family members. Only
his mother, who is withering a fish in an attempt to eat it, notices his son. The young seagull
cries out of starvation hoping his mother would help. On seeing his mother come to him
with the fish, he gets excited. But on noticing that his mother stopped mid-way, he gets
maddened out of hunger and takes a dive at the fish, forgetting for a moment that he is
afraid to fly. Finally, he took his first flight. All the family members celebrate his victory by
cheering and dancing around him. He also attempts at floating in the sea that he was once
afraid of. Thus, he overcomes his fear and realizes that it is all in the mind.
1. The Young Seagull (from His First Flight by Liam O’Flaherty)
The young seagull is the central character of the first story. He is shown as a nervous and
timid bird, too afraid to take his first flight. While his brothers and sister fly confidently, he
stays alone on the ledge, gripped by fear of falling. His hesitation reflects a common human
emotion—the fear of failure.
However, the young seagull also has a deep hunger, both literally and symbolically. His
mother cleverly uses this to encourage him to fly. When he finally jumps from the ledge, he
realises he can fly and experiences joy and freedom. This moment marks his transformation
from a fearful bird to a brave one.
Character traits:
• Nervous and hesitant
• Insecure but observant
• Becomes brave and confident by the end
• Represents personal growth and the power of self-belief
