Discussion starters:
- How does the dead father influence Pepe?
- Edmund Wilson was the first to point out Steinbeck's tendency to describe people in terms of animals. How does that impact the narration of this story?
- In what ways does this story violate the expectations of a typical initiation story?
- What are some variant interpretations of the title?
- Ditsky compares Pepe's journey to Brutus Jones's in O'Neill's Emperor Jones. What connections do you see between the two?
- Is there a message or a moral to this story?
Critical Sources:
Ditsky, John M. "Steinbeck's 'Flight': The Ambiguity of Manhood." Hayashi 17-23.
Hayashi, Tetsumaro, ed. A Study Guide to Steinbeck's The Long Valley. Ann Arbor, MI: Pierian, 1976.
Hughes, R. S. Beyond the Red Pony: A Reader’s Companion to Steinbeck’s Complete Short Stories. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1987.
Timmerman, John H. The Dramatic Landscape of Steinbeck’s Short Stories. Norman, OK: U of Oklahoma P, 1990.
