Fly Away Peter: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

In the military, Jim is grouped with a number of Australians, including a man named Clancy Parkett who is a kindhearted trouble-maker. Jim takes a liking to Clancy, who tells stories about his outings with women in the days before the war. Later on, he meets another Australian, Bobby Cleese. Bobby likes to talk about Deception Bay, where he used to go fishing. Jim takes comfort in listening to these stories, especially when he and Bobby are stranded in a “shell-hole” for an entire day and night. Close enough to hear the enemy striking matches, Jim revels in Bobby’s words, which remind him of home. Even more comforting, though, are the birds that fly above, enabling Jim to think about how the different parts of his life are connected and “to find his way back at times to a natural cycle of things.”

For some reason, a fellow soldier named Wizzer takes a disliking to Jim. Early on, Wizzer makes a point of tripping Jim, who finds himself suddenly wanting to viciously defend “whatever it was in him that Wizzer rejected.” This helps Jim understand himself, since “enemies, like friends, told you who you were.” As Jim and Wizzer square off to fight, Clancy steps in and takes Jim’s place, but the “spirit” of the fight is less murderous. From that point on, Jim avoids Wizzer—not because he fears the man, but because he fears the dark parts of himself that Wizzer might coax out.