# II: The Flying Men explained — Last and First Men

> Chapter companion for Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon.

## What happens

The chapter describes the final phase of the Sixth Men, who, obsessed with flight, created the Seventh Men, a species of winged humanoids. These flying men lived carefree lives but were eventually subjugated by flightless intellectuals, leading to a tragic mass suicide.

## Themes in this chapter

### Human Nature and Evolution

The chapter explores the deliberate evolution of a new human species, the Seventh Men, and the consequences of such biological engineering.

### Suffering and Redemption

The Seventh Men's tragic end, choosing mass suicide over subjugation, highlights themes of suffering and the search for dignity.

### The Limits of Knowledge

The Seventh Men's philosophy acknowledges the limits of human understanding, viewing their intellectual system as a 'bubble adrift in chaos.'

## Character check-ins

### The Sixth Men

The creators of the Seventh Men, obsessed with flight and eventually producing the winged species.

### The Seventh Men

The winged human species, carefree and adapted for flight, who face extinction through subjugation and mass suicide.

### The Flying Men

Another name for the Seventh Men, emphasizing their aerial nature and tragic end.

## Key lines

> The Seventh Men were pygmies, scarcely heavier than the largest of terrestrial flying birds.

The Seventh Men were small and light, comparable to large birds, adapted for flight.

_Describes the physical characteristics of the Seventh Men._

> At the appointed signal the whole population rose into the air with a deep roar of wings. Sorrow was left behind.

When the signal was given, everyone flew up, leaving their sadness behind.

_The moment of mass flight before their suicide._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/ii-the-flying-men
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/last_and_first_men_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters