The first two chapters of Fly Away Peter reveals much about both Jim and Ashley's developing relationships with the land, as well as making reference to the existence of `two worlds' and foreshadowing changes yet to come.

From the moment we meet Jim it is clear he has a great appreciation for nature, his uninhibited surroundings and the pure wonder of life as it is, unaffected by man. His uneasy reaction to the appearance of bi-plane and the way it disturbs the natural bird life demonstrates how he values the beauty of nature over the technology of man; he even feels empathetic, and to a degree protective, towards the birds whose peaceful existence is disturbed by the plane. He has a clear picture in his head of how the land looks, so he clearly spends much of his town out in the wilderness; not just spending time there...