Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.
- Leonardo da Vinci
Connection to Theme 4/27/15
In part 1 of "Airman" Conor is framed for killing the king and is sent to prison on Little Saltee. Little Saltee is an island off the coast of Scotland where violent criminals are sent to mine diamonds. This relates to the theme we've chosen because in order for Conor to survive prison, he must escape from his old identity. Linus constantly tells him that he must forget his old life because it will drive him crazy. This begins the transformation from Sir Conor Broekhart to the hardened criminal Conor Finn
Throughout this portion of the book he has to overcome challenges such as starvation and daily beatings from the prison thug Otto. This is quite funny because Conor cuts Otto up with and diamond pick, and later Otto becomes his best friend. Conor then smuggles diamonds from the island and helps to pay for the release of Otto. Later in the book, Conor has almost escaped his old life when his cell mate Linus is "released" from Little Saltee. This breaks Conor down because according to Linus "Murder is the most expeditious way to prevent overcrowding, I pray that we fortunate two are never released (Colfer 177). He was quite attached to Linus and this greatly effects him. He proceeds to cry in the back of his cell like a little baby. It is in the back of the cell that he discovers a tiny alcove covered in some organic material that glows. He later realizes “of course, it was luminous coral”(Colfer 181). It is on here that he will create hundreds of diagrams of flying machines and begin to think of a method of escaping Little Saltee.
In part 2 of “Airman” Conor begins to devise a plan of getting off of Little Saltee. This quite obviously follows our theme exactly. Conor escapes in a hot air balloon and parachutes down to Great Saltee, the main island of the kingdom. This is where he will build the flying machine he will use to save Isabella who is now the queen and his parents.
Throughout this portion of the book he has to overcome challenges such as starvation and daily beatings from the prison thug Otto. This is quite funny because Conor cuts Otto up with and diamond pick, and later Otto becomes his best friend. Conor then smuggles diamonds from the island and helps to pay for the release of Otto. Later in the book, Conor has almost escaped his old life when his cell mate Linus is "released" from Little Saltee. This breaks Conor down because according to Linus "Murder is the most expeditious way to prevent overcrowding, I pray that we fortunate two are never released (Colfer 177). He was quite attached to Linus and this greatly effects him. He proceeds to cry in the back of his cell like a little baby. It is in the back of the cell that he discovers a tiny alcove covered in some organic material that glows. He later realizes “of course, it was luminous coral”(Colfer 181). It is on here that he will create hundreds of diagrams of flying machines and begin to think of a method of escaping Little Saltee.
In part 2 of “Airman” Conor begins to devise a plan of getting off of Little Saltee. This quite obviously follows our theme exactly. Conor escapes in a hot air balloon and parachutes down to Great Saltee, the main island of the kingdom. This is where he will build the flying machine he will use to save Isabella who is now the queen and his parents.
Opinion on the Book 4/30/15
This has got to be one of my favorite books of all time! I believe this has to be due to my fascination with flight that I've had from a very young age. I love how from the very beginning of the book Colfer sucks you in. He does by introducing Conor as the boy born in the sky. I also enjoyed the beginning due to its immediate action. As soon as that rifle cracks you're sucked into a world of swashbuckling adventures.
My favorite part of the book had to be Conor's studies with Victor. I believe this is because I kind of connected it to the way Jedi’s are trained by their masters in Star Wars. Also this is where Conor learns to fight which is just kind of what interests most boys. This portion of the book begins to display Conor's shift from being a little boy to becoming a man. It is in these times that his life takes a twist.
The murder of the king was the worst part of the book yet the most interesting in some aspects. The actions Bolivian took for the murder demonstrates how evil and crazy he is. Not only did he kill the king and Victor, he disguised Conor as a guard and told Conor's father that the guard in front of him was an accomplice to the murder of the king. The funny part is all of this comes back to bite him in the butt because Conor eventually escapes and saves his parents.
I greatly enjoyed the funny moments in the book like when Conor, dressed as a chef hops on a hot air balloon and people just think the chef has gone crazy. Another portion I liked greatly was when Victor messes with Conor about loving the princess.
Over all I greatly enjoined the book and would have no hesitation about reading it again.
My favorite part of the book had to be Conor's studies with Victor. I believe this is because I kind of connected it to the way Jedi’s are trained by their masters in Star Wars. Also this is where Conor learns to fight which is just kind of what interests most boys. This portion of the book begins to display Conor's shift from being a little boy to becoming a man. It is in these times that his life takes a twist.
The murder of the king was the worst part of the book yet the most interesting in some aspects. The actions Bolivian took for the murder demonstrates how evil and crazy he is. Not only did he kill the king and Victor, he disguised Conor as a guard and told Conor's father that the guard in front of him was an accomplice to the murder of the king. The funny part is all of this comes back to bite him in the butt because Conor eventually escapes and saves his parents.
I greatly enjoyed the funny moments in the book like when Conor, dressed as a chef hops on a hot air balloon and people just think the chef has gone crazy. Another portion I liked greatly was when Victor messes with Conor about loving the princess.
Over all I greatly enjoined the book and would have no hesitation about reading it again.
Similar Sources 5/5/15
Forrest Gump is a movie about a boy who is a little strange growing up. He’s a little mentally slow but he runs very fast. Forrest uses his speed to escape from his bullies as a child, and as an adult, he uses it to cope with his loneliness. This is similar to how Conor uses flight to escape whatever the current issue is in Airman. In the clip I picked for an example of Forrest Gump, Forrest talks about how after he found out he could run quite fast he ran everywhere. This is very similar to how after Conor discovered flight he never wanted to touch the ground again.
Whenever Forrest grows up he has trouble getting the love of his life, Jenny. In order to escape his loneliness he resorts to running. This is similar to how Conor “launched himself into the night sky” thinking “I’m flying home” in order to escape prison (Colfer 276). The clip I’ve attached is great and slightly comic, and I hope you enjoy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2-MCPa_3rU
In Kelly Clarkson's song, "Breakaway", she sings about an unstable family growing up and how she had to escape from it in order to achieve her goals. This relates very much to my book because at one point she talks about how she had to "spread her wings and learn how to fly". This relates directly to Airman due to its ideas of flight. Just like how when Conor takes off in his plane “the vibrations decrease” and “No longer [can] he feel the bump over each stone transmitted through the wood into his rear end, Kelly Clarkson’s life becomes easier as she grows up and escapes her old life (Colfer 381). This happens to be one of the greatest songs ever and I believe it is a fantastic connection to my book!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-3vPxKdj6o
Whenever Forrest grows up he has trouble getting the love of his life, Jenny. In order to escape his loneliness he resorts to running. This is similar to how Conor “launched himself into the night sky” thinking “I’m flying home” in order to escape prison (Colfer 276). The clip I’ve attached is great and slightly comic, and I hope you enjoy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2-MCPa_3rU
In Kelly Clarkson's song, "Breakaway", she sings about an unstable family growing up and how she had to escape from it in order to achieve her goals. This relates very much to my book because at one point she talks about how she had to "spread her wings and learn how to fly". This relates directly to Airman due to its ideas of flight. Just like how when Conor takes off in his plane “the vibrations decrease” and “No longer [can] he feel the bump over each stone transmitted through the wood into his rear end, Kelly Clarkson’s life becomes easier as she grows up and escapes her old life (Colfer 381). This happens to be one of the greatest songs ever and I believe it is a fantastic connection to my book!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-3vPxKdj6o