Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Pierre Blanchard was an actual French inventor who flew his hot air balloon across the English Channel and over the skies of Philadelphia, near Walnut Street Prison. Matilda constantly references Blanchard's experiments as a source of wonder, excitement, and hope (1.28, 25.53, epilogue.15). Why, though, do you think the balloon is yellow? What else in the novel is yellow?