Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis

In Chapter 5, The Plane Truth, Ellen does not like to fly. She has been told that flying is safer than crossing the street, which only makes her afraid to cross the street. A friend has told Ellen that chanting will calm her when she flies but chanting, "I'm going to die. I'm going to die," does not seem to work. On one flight, a nun sits in front of Ellen and when she mistakes a rattling drink cart for a crash dive, she yells out a few expletives that surely disturb the holy woman. Ellen asks the nun to pray for her. The nun finally gives up on Ellen when she tells the nun not to use the fan above her because it might take power away from the plane. The nun finds another seat. As scary as the flight is...