Airborn is the story of two ambitious kids just trying their darndest to achieve their dreams. Matt comes from nothing, but believes that with a ton of hard work he can someday become the captain of a luxurious airship like his precious Aurora. Kate has more money than she knows what to do with, but wants desperately to beat the old boys club back at the Zoological Society at their own game and prove that women can be amazing scientists too. Throughout the story, their level of ambition and perseverance teeters along the line between having healthy aspirations and risking their lives for their dreams.
Questions About Ambition/Perserverance
- Bruce is the one character in our story who doesn't have a clear goal in life, and he gets killed. Is his death symbolic, or is he merely a casualty of the plot?
- Would you say that Kate has a healthy level of ambition, or does she take it too far?
- Could Captain Walken have done more to prevent Bruce's usurping of Matt's promotion?
- At the end of the book Matt and Kate are on the path to achieving their goals. Was this the result of hard work or sheer dumb luck?
Chew on This
In this story Oppel chooses to remain ambiguous about whether or not ambition is always a positive attribute.
A life without ambition is one not worth living; you need to have goals in order to be happy.