Bach's descriptions of flight exhibit an acute metaphorical awareness of aerodynamics and the sensation of flying, reflecting his years of writing for pilots.

This precision gives a sense of authority to the general thematic words that Bach uses.

The stereotyped values, actions, and dialogue work like symbols because they are incomplete. Bach's loose style affords meanings vague enough to coax the reader into many automatic conjectures. The characters, without limiting detail, can suggest many parallels. Undefined value words can suggest whatever fits the reader's personal definitions. The setting, being mostly air, distracts very little from a wide range of interpretation. The plot—leaving society, learning, returning—has classic roots and is open enough to allow a wide range of reader associations.

Bach's allegory of stereotypes resembles an exaggerated impressionistic painting; it casts light in many directions and lets the viewer decide what is illuminated...