Fly Away Peter

David Malouf’s Fly Away Peter, although a simple story about two Australian men going to war, deeply depicts the horrors and misery of World War I. Throughout the narrator’s journey, we encounter two very contrasting lifestyles—one existing in Ashley Crowther’s undisturbed land in southern Queensland, and the other in the evil trench warfare of Europe. Malouf’s use of imagery in the novel illustrates Jim Saddler’s experiences as he explores …

…he loves, and the transformation he goes through when leaving home. While all men in the war had experienced this life-changing occurrence like Jim did, we are able to view a specific account of an Australian bird lover, who loves and misses his home more than anything else. Jim’s inspiration about life is portrayed at the end by Imogen’s expression of mourning towards Jim, and the significance of his life of simply being.