The eternal movement as the symbol of life
Moving is the way, both outward and inward, around the countries of the world or through the one's own body. The very possibility of easily moving over the planet intoxicates us, and it seems we are making one trip after another without any meaning, but simply by inertia. We reach cities where there are more roads, and then we lose half our lives on these roads. “Moving is always preferable to staying still” - Tokarchuk repeats within the novel.
The machine of time (allegory)
Mummification and embalming is presented in the novel as a type of traveling in time - a kind of time machine, which, unfortunately, can only carry forward and in a slightly modified form. It would seem that the eternal existence in a jar filled with of alcohol, is the opposite of moving, but at a certain angle, the opposites overlap.
The Bodhi Tree – the symbol of enlightenment
The Bodhi Tree is sacred place in India, as it is the very tree, under which Buddha was enlightened. One of the characters, who stays unnamed, is lucky to visit “the sacred place where, under a large fig tree, Buddha experienced his enlightenment”. The Chinese (the unnamed character) paid honors to this place, bowed many times, left large donations, and experienced no enlightenment, but rather disappointment. What he felt was childish embarrassment and helplessness, which turned into fear. And he understood that he was not at all sure that wanted to experience enlightenment. Illnesses, old age and death – the things which astounded Buddha so strongly, he, the Chinese, observes every day.
Ancient Greece (motifs)
The novel Flights contains a lot of allusions to the myths of Ancient Greece, which overall creates mythological motifs. Most of the motifs mentioned in the novel are occasional, among these is the mention of Achilles, and of how his mother goddess Thetis grabbed little Achilles, and redeemed him in the Styx.
Referring to the myths, the author mentions gods of time – Kairos and Chronos. Kairos is the ancient Greek god of happy moment, who patronizes chances and favorable moments, and Chronos, who patronizes the chronological sequence or time.
Along with allusions to mythology the novel is overwhelmed with the allusion to the real facts, which are connected to Ancient Greece. Among these are references to Homer and his poem Odyssey, which is devoted to the theme of traveling and is closely connected to the ideas of the novel Flights.
Among other motifs of Ancient Greece is the mention of ancient Greek philosopher Zeno and his paradoxes proving the impossibility of movement, space and multitude. "Achilles and the tortoise" is one of the Zeno’s paradoxes, which is developed and discussed in Flights.
