“We” · Chapter
I: Boyhood and Early Flights explained
Charles Lindbergh recounts his birth in Detroit, his family's Swedish immigrant heritage, his father's political career, and his mother's academic background.
What happens
Charles Lindbergh recounts his birth in Detroit, his family's Swedish immigrant heritage, his father's political career, and his mother's academic background. He describes his irregular schooling, early fascination with aviation, and his entry into barnstorming and wing-walking in 1922. The chapter details his first parachute jump, barnstorming adventures across Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana with H. J. Lynch, and a solo boat journey down the Yellowstone River.
Themes in this chapter
Pioneering Spirit and Aviation
Lindbergh's early fascination with flight, his first encounters with airplanes, and his entry into barnstorming reflect the pioneering spirit of early aviation.
The American Dream and Immigrant Heritage
Lindbergh details his grandfather's immigration from Sweden, homesteading in Minnesota, and his father's rise from a log cabin to Congress, embodying the immigrant experience and the American Dream.
Risk, Sacrifice, and Perseverance
Lindbergh's dangerous wing-walking, parachute jumps, and the challenges of barnstorming—including a near-fatal parachute malfunction and a leaky boat journey—highlight themes of risk and perseverance.
Characters to notice
- Charles Lindbergh
Narrator and protagonist; describes his birth, family background, irregular schooling, and early aviation experiences including barnstorming, wing-walking, and his first parachute jump.
- Mrs. Evangeline Lindbergh
Charles's mother; born in Detroit, of English, Irish, and French extraction, holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Columbia University.
- H. J. Lynch
Barnstorming pilot who hired Lindbergh as a parachute jumper; they traveled together through Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.
- E. G. Bahl
Pilot with whom Lindbergh flew and began wing-walking during barnstorming.
- Reese
Pilot who traded planes with Lynch in Billings, Montana.
Key passages
“I was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 4, 1902. My father was practicing law in Little Falls, Minnesota, at the time.”
Lindbergh was born in Detroit while his father worked as a lawyer in Little Falls, Minnesota.
Establishes Lindbergh's birthplace and family location at the time of his birth.
“Since I saw my first airplane near Washington DC, in 1912, I had been fascinated with flying, although up to the time I enrolled in a flying school in 1922 I had never been near enough a plane to touch it.”
Lindbergh's fascination with aviation began in 1912 when he saw an airplane near Washington, D.C., but he did not get close to one until he enrolled in flying school ten years later.
Highlights the long-standing interest in flight that preceded his hands-on experience.
“I made my first jump one evening in June from an 1,800-foot altitude over the flying field.”
Lindbergh performed his first parachute jump in June from 1,800 feet above the airfield.
Describes his initial parachute jump experience.