For Joseph, of course, the two kinds of flight overlap - his piloting skills allowed him to leave the reservation. Alexie makes this explicit at the end of the story when he writes that above all, John-John “wants to escape” (231). It refers to Joseph’s job as a pilot, but also to John-John’s desire to flee the reservation. The title of “Flight” has a double meaning. He continues to stare out the window all the time and dream of leaving the reservation. One day, their mother tries to clean and fumigate the house but John-John doesn’t want to go outside, even for a few hours. John-John remembers when Joseph would lightheartedly tease him about his double name. Joseph has lost a finger and is covered in scars from being tortured and he does not remember John-John. The most disturbing of these daydreams is the one in which John-John is running down the highway when Joseph lands his plane on it. He daydreams about all the ways Joseph might come home. John-John remembers Joseph’s positive attitude and beautiful singing and dancing. His brother, Joseph, is a military pilot who was captured in action and has not been heard from since. John-John has saved $600 for his future, although he does not know what he wants to do with it yet.
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