Open Textbook Evaluation (OTE)
An assessment on "His First Flight"
Instructions
- This is an Open Textbook Evaluation. You may refer to your textbook to answer the questions.
- Read all the questions carefully before you begin writing.
- Answer the questions in your own words, using details from the story to support your points.
The young seagull's greatest fear was that its wings would not be strong enough to support it in flight. It was terrified of falling into the vast green sea that stretched down beneath the ledge.
The "maddening" sight that finally forced him to dive was his mother tearing a piece of fish with her beak. She flew very close to his ledge with the food, but then halted just out of his reach. Maddened by extreme hunger and the tantalizing sight of the food, he dived at the fish, which caused him to fall from the ledge and into the open air.
The author, Liam O’Flaherty, personifies the young seagull by giving it complex human emotions, thoughts, and psychological struggles. Instead of just being a bird driven by instinct, the seagull experiences fear, cowardice, loneliness, pride, and joy. The author takes us inside the seagull's mind, making us connect with its internal conflict as if it were a human child facing a monumental challenge.
Four phrases from the text that give the seagull human-like thoughts and feelings are:
- "He failed to muster up courage": Mustering courage is a conscious human act of overcoming fear, not a simple animal instinct.
- "He felt certain that his wings would never support him": This shows a complex thought process involving doubt and a lack of self-confidence.
- "His parents were... upbraiding him": "Upbraiding" means to scold or criticize angrily, a human form of communication and discipline.
- "He uttered a joyous scream": Attributing the specific emotion of "joy" to his scream allows the reader to understand his feeling of triumph and relief.
In my opinion, the young seagull's family was being wise, not cruel, although their actions might seem harsh at first. Their behaviour was a form of "tough love" necessary for the young bird's survival and growth.
Here are two reasons to support this view:
- It was Necessary for Survival: The ability to fly is not a choice for a seagull; it is essential for finding food and surviving. If the young seagull had remained on the ledge out of fear, he would have eventually starved to death. His family understood this and knew that hunger would be the only motivation strong enough to overcome his deep-seated fear.
- They Knew His Potential and Celebrated His Success: The family knew the seagull was physically capable of flying; his fear was only in his mind. By leaving him alone and taunting him with food, they created a situation where his primal need (hunger) would conquer his psychological fear. The proof of their wisdom and love is how they reacted after his first flight. They flew around him, "cackling proudly," and offered him scraps of dog-fish, celebrating his achievement and welcoming him into the family fold as an equal. This shows their intention was to help, not to punish.