How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I fell. I was a slick wet bundle of bone and hair, and I was in the sky, falling. I knew I should fly, knew I was meant to. But my wings would scarcely open. I tried to flap, but I was so weak I could barely push against the tower of air thrusting past me. Why couldn't I do this? Every bit of my body was born to do this, so why couldn't I? My wings would not move. But the ground flew up toward me. (13.33)
Although he doesn't say it, we're pretty sure this is Matt dreaming that he is the cloud cat, the one that Benjamin Malloy witnessed plummeting from the sky. Throughout the novel there is an unspoken connection between the two of them (check out the "Symbols" section for more on this). Matt's inability to fly is a major frustration for him, so it's no wonder he keeps having dreams about it.
Quote #5
They were never able to recover the body; the seas and skies were too rough. They told us that, from such a height, the impact on the water would have killed him instantly. But I liked to think of him sailing clear. I liked to think of him soaring around the world, crossing paths with me. (13.50)
This helps explain why Matt has constructed the idea that his father never died: there wasn't enough closure after his death. There wasn't a body to bury or any physical proof of his death, so Matt can afford to think there was some way he could've survived the fall.
Quote #6
I slept. The ship filled all through the night, and even in my dreams I could sense it. I could feel her shifting on the sand as she became lighter, and at some point she came free of the ground and was floating again. Air moved beneath her belly once more, and in my sleep I soared all around her. I waited for my father, but he did not come. (14.1)
Matt's dreams are pretty connected to whatever is going on with him when he's awake. (Just like the rest of us. Ever dream that you show up at school naked? It's anxiety about feeling like you're over-exposed in real life. Neat, huh?) So in this scenario, why doesn't Matt's father come? What is preventing his presence in Matt's dreams?