Literary Devices in Dragonwings
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
All things to do with flying are integral to this book. A lot of our discussion about flying can be found in "Characterization" and "What's Up with the Title?", so be sure to check those out. But w...
Setting
There are a lot of geographical shifts for Moon Shadow, and the move from China to America is a pretty huge one. He leaves the hard work but comfort of his small family farm and finds himself in a...
Narrator Point of View
Moon Shadow proves to be an open and trustworthy narrator whose innocence and heart endear him to us as readers. We follow him as he grows from a kid to a teenager, from the Middle Kingdom to the L...
Genre
On a basic level, Dragonwings is the story of Moon Shadow's multiple moves. We readers follow the travels of Moon Shadow from his family farm in the Middle Kingdom to the Company's building in the...
Tone
Laurence Yep invests Moon Shadow with a lot of heart in a book that also is historically aware and self-conscious about being put forth into literary history. The Afterword is a perfect example of...
Writing Style
The fact that Dragonwings is narrated by the earnest, young Moon Shadow makes Yep's open and simple sentences really jive together. When Moon Shadow sees the wreckage after the earthquake, for exam...
What's Up With the Title?
Dragonwings is the name that Windrider and Moon Shadow give to their first full-sized airplane that they test out in Chapter 12. But the theme of dragons throughout the novel is significant for mor...
What's Up With the Ending?
Yep ends the book twice, really – first in Chapter 12 within the narrative of Moon Shadow, and second, from an outside-the-story level in the Afterword.Let's tackle the ending in Chapter 12 f...
Tough-o-Meter
Though the unknowing reader might take one look at this young adult novel and assume it is easy, we at Shmoop think it's a bit tougher than it looks. The language and style are not too difficult wh...
Plot Analysis
Windrider shares his dragon dream with Moon Shadow his first night in America. Though the story significantly begins with Moon Shadow in the Middle Kingdom, it is not until Windrider shares his d...
Trivia
Dragonwings is inspired by the true story of Fung Joe Guey, a Chinese immigrant in Oakland, CA who built and flew a machine that was in the air for twenty minutes. Just like Moon Shadow and Windrid...
Allusions
Peach Orchard Vow (2.39) Confucius (2.40)Lee the White (Li Po or Li Bai) (2.42)Lee the White [Li Po or Li Bai], "A Tranquil Night." This poem's title is translated in various ways, as is the famous...