Maturity begins with humility. It is an unending process in which no one is too mature to grow. – Kap Sian Gordon argues, “What is important in ‘Flight’ is not the crime itself but Pepe’s mental and physical response to it, how he deports himself when the circumstances are propitious for a boy to become a man.” Reading the story, it can be said that in the beginning, the main character acted with pride, there is the trace of arrogance. He insisted that he is already a man and is already mature to take up the roles given to him. This is seen in three scenes in the story. First, with the chores given to him by his mom and that is to go to town, one task that only adults can perform, he accepts it happily and even insists that he needs to use his father’s hatband and handkerchief as a sign of his maturity. Second, he even wanted to prove his manhood by drinking wine with someone. This someone then throws insults at him which brought out his violent nature that eventually killed this former. Not accepting the words can clearly tell us that he is indeed acting with pride as he wanted to manifest something. Lastly, he elopes to the mountain where he faced challenges or might say, “Consequences”. Thinking about it, would there be differences if he takes responsibility for his actions? Yet, that is the beauty of the story wherein Pepe, an insisting and arrogant youth in the beginning, learned the ways of men through an unlikely journey. He lost every possible thing that surely is needed for his survival, that can make him look strong and can fight back. The denouement of the story is presented with the fact that he needs to crawl on his stomach, wriggling and worming toward the top of the next ridge which can be said that is a sign of humility. The story ends with the evidence that he learns humility as he faced his final verdict and, like a man, is able to accept the consequences of his actions, a proof of maturity that us readers should reflect upon. #literature #literaryanalysis

• published: 27 May 2022
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