How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He was the kind of man everyone felt safer being around. If he'd been wearing a velvet robe and crown, he'd be the very image of a great king; if he were in a doctor's jacket, you'd trust your life to him; if he were in a carpenter's smock, you'd know he'd build you the finest house imaginable. But I preferred him in his blue captain's jacket with the four gold stripes on the sleeve and his cap encircled with thick gold cord. (1.69)
Do you remember how you felt about your dad when you were little? Did he seem bigger than life, like he could do just about anything? Sometimes when we are kids our parents can seem like superheroes—like they can do nothing wrong. In Matt's case, he has transferred these feelings that he used to have for his dad and placed them firmly on the shoulders of Captain Walken. He might project the image of capability, but we think maybe the perfection aspect of it all might be a bad case of heroworshipitis.
Quote #2
Hands tousling my hair, clapping me on the back, voices saying "Well done," and me trying not to smile but smiling and laughing anyway because it felt so good to know I'd brought the gondola in, saved the pilot, and impressed everyone. All these men who had known my father. They would have called him Mr. Cruse too. (1.147)
Really? You just did all of those incredible things, and what you chose to take away from this moment of triumph is that they're calling you the same name as your father? Dude, we think maybe it's time to take a little credit for yourself. It's one thing to know that you would've made your father proud and revel in it, but it's another thing to have it be the only accomplishment in life.
Quote #3
It was strange the way I felt about him: connected was the only word I could conjure up. I'd spotted his balloon out there in the night sky, and I'd swung onto his gondola and found him lying crumpled on the deck, looking so broken and helpless. Maybe it was also because he looked a little like an older version of my father - but that might just have been imaginings on my part. (1.165)
Ever miss someone so much that you think you see their face everywhere you go, even if you know they couldn't possibly really be there? Matt definitely has this going on. We're pretty sure he sees his father in just about every old guy he meets. You've got Daddy on the brain, Matt—but at least you are admitting that to yourself.
Quote #4
My mother had not wanted me to take the position, not after what happened to my father. I'd never seen her so upset. I'd tried to hide how much I wanted the job, but she knew anyway. All my life I'd wanted to fly. What she didn't know was that I wanted to fly away from her too. I wanted to fly to my father, and I couldn't do that landlocked in the small apartment with its low ceilings and gray views of rainy city streets. My father had spent so little time there. It was not the place I could be near him. (4.18)
This is where we are introduced to the whole Aurora = father, airborn = happiness thing that Matt's got going on. He desperately needs to feel a connection with his dad, so he associates where his dad worked (and lived, and died) with his ability to find happiness. This is problematic in a number of ways… and don't you feel kinda bad for his mom and sisters?
Quote #5
I often thought of my father during meal times. He had once eaten at this very table, with many of these same people I now rubbed shoulders with. They'd known my father. They'd known he'd served dutifully and well aboard the Aurora. Some had been his friends. I liked being near them all. I didn't need to talk about my father with them; I just liked knowing he'd been here. (4.56)
After someone dies it can really be a comfort to surround yourself with other people who knew him or her. It lets you remember the person's presence, and you can feel at home being around other people who might miss them too. On the other hand, it can prevent you from moving on, especially if you're constantly seeking out that person who will never come back.
Quote #6
"Your parents will be worried sick." She went back to the skeleton. "Well, they'll put on a good show anyway." I stared at the back of her head, not quite sure I understood. "They'll call all the important people they know," Kate went on, "and demand updates and answers, and an extensive search." "Well, that's something," I said. (11.83)
Kate has different parental issues than Matt does. Her parents are wealthy socialites who decided long ago that they didn't have time for their strange, opinionated daughter. Although she acts like it doesn't bother her, we can see that Kate would just love to have a little acknowledgement from them every once in a while.
Quote #7
I'd never been able to tell my mother how comforting it had been to work aboard Dad's old ship. Everyone knew about my father, and they were all very kind to me, especially Captain Walken. Baz took me under his wing right away—the older brother I never had. I felt like I'd discovered another family aloft. And my father always felt nearby, visiting me often in my dreams. I kept this all to myself, though, for I couldn't bear being disloyal to Mom and Isabel and Sylvia. (11.112)
It's really great that Matt has found this other family in the skies, but seriously—he has a family back in Lionsgate City. The reason he never told his mother how much he loved working on the Aurora is because deep down he knows it would hurt her feelings and make her feel even more inadequate than she already does.
Quote #8
I could feel my surprise, like an earthquake's tremor, about to ripple across my face, but hoped I managed to stop it in time. It seemed impossible that a cold-hearted thief and murderer like Szpirglas should have a son. (16.128)
Matt's got a point, here. Whenever you think about bad guys you don't really think about whether or not they've got families at home, do you? This was a smart move by Oppel, because by making Szpirglas a father he gives him a good reason to be so motivated to protect the secrecy of his island getaway.
Quote #9
I was not frightened. This was how my father fell. […] If my father could do it, I could do it. I was born in the air. (20.50)
Dude, you're about to die. Maybe deciding that that's okay because it's how your father died isn't a great idea… (Psst: you might dream that you and your dad can fly around the ship, but it's not real. Pass it on.)
Quote #10
Down he went, spinning through the air. And I thought: his boy. Theodore. His poor boy. (20.81)
There's a bit of irony for you: Matt spends this whole time mourning the loss of his father who fell from the ship, and then the bad guy dies the same way. And Matt's first thought is about his poor, orphaned son. Guess he can relate, huh?