His First Flight by Liam O’Flaherty – Complete Summary, Analysis & Q&A for Class 10 English
His First Flight by Liam O’Flaherty – Complete Summary, Analysis & Q&A for Class 10 English
Introduction
His First Flight by Liam O’Flaherty is a short story included in the Class 10 English NCERT textbook First Flight. The story highlights the theme of courage, fear, and self-confidence through the journey of a young seagull. It teaches us that fear is natural, but we must overcome it to grow and achieve success. This is a very important chapter for CBSE Class 10 exams and helps students understand the values of determination, support of family, and self-discovery.
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Summary of His First Flight
The story is about a young seagull who is afraid to fly. While his brothers and sister have already learned flying, he remains hesitant, gripped by fear. His parents scold him and try to encourage him, but he still cannot gather courage. Finally, when his mother tempts him with food, he takes a leap out of hunger and fear of missing out. To his surprise, his wings support him, and he finally experiences the joy of flying. The story beautifully conveys that true growth comes when we overcome fear and take risks in life.
Original Passage
The young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. Somehow he had not had the courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate. His wings would never support him, so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night. Even when each of his brothers and his sister, whose wings were far shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate.
Word Meanings:
- Ledge – a narrow shelf on a cliff
- Plunge – a sudden jump or fall
- Desperate – hopeless, extreme
- Muster up – to gather (courage, strength)
Analysis:
This opening passage introduces us to the young seagull who feels insecure and fearful. Although his wings are bigger and stronger than his siblings, he lacks self-belief. This highlights an important lesson: sometimes the biggest obstacle is not weakness but fear in the mind.
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Original Passage
He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau dozing, with their heads sunk into their necks. His father was preening the feathers on his white back. Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of her beak on the rock.
Analysis:
In this part of the story, the young seagull is very hungry because he hasn’t eaten since the night before. To attract attention, he slowly walks to the edge of the cliff and pretends to be sleepy, hoping his family will notice and bring him food. But his brothers and sister are relaxed, his father is busy cleaning his feathers, and nobody seems to care. Only his mother is watching him. She has a piece of fish and keeps eating it slowly, almost teasing him.
The writer beautifully shows the seagull’s growing hunger and desperation. His mother plays an important role here—she doesn’t help him immediately because she wants him to overcome his fear and learn to fly. Hunger becomes the main motivation for his courage later.
Word Meanings
- Brink – edge of something (like a cliff)
- Preening – cleaning and arranging feathers with the beak
- Dozing – sleeping lightly
- Thrust forward – pushed out in front
- Scrapped – rubbed against something hard
Original Passage
“His parents, his brothers and his little sister had landed on the green plateau ahead of him. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. He screamed with fright and attempted to rise again, flapping his wings. But he was tired and weak with hunger, and he could not rise, exhausted by the long spell without food. His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on the green floor of the plateau, and they were looking up at him, calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. But he could not move.”
Analysis:
In this part of the story, the young seagull’s family is already on the green plateau, a safe place. They keep calling him, encouraging him to fly, but he is too weak, scared, and hungry to take the step. His hunger makes him desperate, but his fear is stronger. The family even threatens him that they will let him starve unless he learns to fly. This shows how parents sometimes push children out of their comfort zone for their own growth and independence.
Word Meanings
- Beckoning – signaling or calling someone to come closer
- Shrilly – loudly and sharply
- Exhausted – extremely tired
- Upbraiding – scolding, criticizing
- Plateau – a flat high land
Original Passage
“He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they kept calling him shrilly. He just felt that he was starving. He could feel the heat of the sun more and more, for he had not eaten since the previous night. He saw his mother picking up a piece of fish. Standing on the plateau, she tore the fish into pieces. He uttered a low cry. His mother cawed back to him. He kept calling plaintively, and then he saw her tearing at a piece of fish at her feet.”
Analysis
Now the mother seagull plays a smart role. She knows her child’s hunger is stronger than his fear. Instead of flying to him with food, she stays on the plateau and eats in front of him, tearing the fish into pieces. This tempts him badly. He tries to attract her attention by crying. His desperation for food is increasing, and this hunger will eventually give him the courage to make his first flight.
Word Meanings
- Brink – edge of a cliff
- Pretended – acted as if, without meaning it
- Starving – suffering from hunger
- Plaintively – in a sad, begging way
- Tore – ripped apart
Original Passage
“Then a maddening terror seized him. His heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a moment. The very next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under his stomach, and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy. Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. He uttered a joyous scream and flapped them again and rose higher. His mother swooped past him, her wings making a loud noise. He answered her with another scream. His father flew over him screaming. Then he saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him curveting and banking and soaring and diving.”
Analysis:
This is the turning point of the story. At first, the young seagull feels terrified, thinking he is falling. But within seconds, he realizes his wings can support him. The wind lifts him, and he begins to soar freely in the sky. His fear turns into joy and confidence. He screams happily, and soon his whole family joins him in the flight. This shows that courage comes when we take the first step, and success follows.
Word Meanings
- Seized – took hold of suddenly (here, fear gripped him)
- Soaring – flying high in the sky
- Curveting – moving gracefully in curves
- Banking – tilting sideways while flying
- Diving – plunging downwards in flight
Original Passage
The sight of the food maddened him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping his beak now and again to whet it. He uttered a low cackle. His mother cackled too, and looked at him. “Gawl-ool-ah,” she cried, straining her head to call him. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. With a loud scream, he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then, a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. His wings would never support him. He was falling, down, down, down. He opened his beak to scream, but only felt the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He could feel the wind rushing against his breast feathers, then under his stomach, and against his wings. He could feel himself soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards.
Word Meanings
- Maddened – driven crazy or desperate
- Scrapping – rubbing roughly
- Whet – sharpen
- Cackle – a harsh laugh or cry (sound of a bird)
- Monstrous – huge, terrifying
- Seized – suddenly took hold of
- Headlong – moving quickly and uncontrollably
Analysis
This section marks the turning point of the story. The young seagull’s hunger reaches such a level that he cannot resist diving at the fish his mother offers. His desperation forces him to take the plunge, and though he is initially terrified, instinct takes over. For the first time, he experiences the thrill of flight—the wind under his wings, the rush of air, and the realization that he can soar rather than fall.
This passage beautifully shows how fear can be overcome by necessity and instinct. The seagull discovers that he is capable of much more than he imagined, once he takes the leap. It teaches us that courage often comes only when we push past our fears.
Original passage
He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy.
Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. “Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-ah,” his mother swooped past him, her wings making a loud noise. He answered her with another scream. Then his father flew over him screaming. He saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him curveting and banking and soaring and diving.
Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly, and commended himself to dive and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly.
He was near the sea now, flying straight over it, facing straight out over the ocean. He saw a vast green sea beneath him, with little ridges moving over it and he turned his beak sideways and cawed amusedly.
His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank into it. He screamed with fright and attempted to rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted by the strange exercise. His feet sank into the green sea, and then his belly touched it and he sank no farther. He was floating on it, and around him his family was screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish.
He had made his first flight.
Analysis:
This passage highlights the theme of courage, family support, and self-discovery. The seagull’s initial dizziness represents the fear that comes with trying something new. However, once he takes the first step, he experiences the beauty of freedom and confidence. His family plays a vital role by encouraging and guiding him, showing that support systems are essential for growth.
The landing on water symbolizes how nature provides balance—although he feared sinking, the sea held him afloat, teaching him that many fears are baseless. The act of being fed after his first flight represents both reward and acceptance into the adult world of survival.
Thus, the story conveys that taking risks, overcoming fear, and trusting oneself are the keys to success.
Word-Meanings
Soared – flew high in the sky.
Curveting – moving gracefully in curves.
Banking – tilting sideways while flying.
Shrieking – crying loudly in a high-pitched voice.
Vast – very large.
Beckoning – signaling or calling to come nearer.
Exhausted – extremely tired.
Dog-fish – a small shark, used here as food for the seagull.
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Questions Answers of His First Flight Class X NCERT English
1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?
The young seagull was afraid to fly because he lacked confidence in his wings. He felt his wings would not support him, and this fear of falling kept him grounded while his siblings had already flown. Not all young birds are equally timid—some are bolder, while others hesitate due to fear of failure. Similarly, human babies also find it a challenge to take their first steps. Just like the young seagull, they feel insecure in the beginning, but with encouragement and practice, they learn to walk confidently.
2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
The phrase “The sight of the food maddened him” suggests the young seagull’s intense hunger and desperation. Watching his mother carry a piece of fish but refusing to give it directly made him restless. His hunger grew so strong that it overcame his fear of flying. Compelled by this natural instinct to survive, he finally dived toward the food, and in the process, discovered that he could fly.
3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
The seagull’s parents beckoned to him and called shrilly because they wanted to encourage him to take his first flight. They used both threats and cajoling as methods of motivation. Their aim was to make him overcome his fear and realize his natural ability. Parents, whether human or animal, often push their young ones to face challenges because they know it is necessary for survival and growth.
4. Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to do something that you were too scared to try? Discuss this in pairs or groups.
Yes, many people experience such situations. For example, a child may be afraid to swim, ride a bicycle, or perform on stage. Parents encourage and support them, sometimes with patience, sometimes with firmness, to help them build courage. Once the child overcomes fear, the achievement brings confidence and happiness. This is very similar to the young seagull’s experience in the story.
5. In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, and a foregone conclusion that it should succeed. In the examples you have given in answer to the previous question, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, regardless of a possibility of failure?
In the case of birds, flying is natural and success is almost guaranteed. However, in human experiences like learning to swim, cycle, or speak in public, success is not always certain. What truly matters is the attempt. Trying builds confidence and skills, even if there is a possibility of failure. Just like the seagull, humans learn that courage and effort are essential steps to success.
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