Dragonwings Friendship Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

As I lay down on my mat and pulled the blanket up about my neck, it seemed to me that if this was the case, the demoness would surely be reborn as a rich Tang woman in her next life. I even toyed with the idea that perhaps we had been close to each other in some former life – a mother and child, even. (6.134)

Moon Shadow's hunch that he was related to Miss Whitlaw suggests that he takes an immediate liking to the landlady. This is a bit surprising, because Miss Whitlaw is the first non-Tang lady the narrator meets, and he had expected her to be pretty awful. This excerpt shows that friendship, and even family, does not need to rely on external similarities like race or gender.

Quote #5

My brother and I are always happy to meet another flying enthusiast. Our brotherhood is too small to lose any one of us. Enclosed you will find some tables and diagrams that should prove of some service to you. If we can be of any further assistance to you, please let me know. (6.149)

Moon Shadow and Windrider are not only a part of the brotherhood of the Company, but also the brotherhood of "flying [enthusiasts]," as Orville Wright writes here. These multiple forms of community build a sense of belonging for the Lees in America.

Quote #6

The Company's days were filled with cheerful shouting and singing and swearing and hammering. We were putting up a new building, one made of stone and guaranteed to last a century. It was hard work, but it was exhilarating – the kind of feeling that comes from being alive and taking part in some great common enterprise. (10.127)

The shared act of rebuilding the Tang people's village together, specifically the new Company building, reflects the sense of family Moon Shadow senses is being built between the men of the Company and himself.