Great Circle

Flying an airplane is an exercise in freedom and escapism for Marian. The novel explores her relationship with flying as it helps her to escape from the tragedies and prejudices that she faces in society. As a poor abandoned child, Marian yearns to be somewhere other than Montana. Others frequently tell her what she can and cannot do, typically based on her gender. When she first sees an airplane, the romance of flight appeals to her. Flying a plane is a way to untether herself from societal expectations and constraints. Rather than remaining stuck on the ground, the planes allow her to travel upward and above the world. In the air, she is not bound by walls, ceilings, or tethers; she is free to go in any direction she pleases. Marian can use her plane to travel outside of her town, her state, her country, and even on an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. At every step of the way, men and other people in the society try to limit her. With her plane, however, Marian cannot be limited. To her, freedom and flight are the same.

Marian is so invested in the idea of flying because she feels the need for control. Once she learns to fly, the plane obeys her commands. She only needs to move the control stick to set the course of her life. When Marian takes Macqueen in the plane, she demonstrates her control over him by performing aerobatics that make him sick. When she wants to be independent, she takes the plane and flees from him. When she wants to hide, she becomes a pilot in Alaska. Flight is the central symbol for her freedom. She masters flying in a way she never masters other aspects of existence.

Because flying is so important to Marian, her decision to stop is a vital moment in her life. She chooses not to fly when she escapes to New Zealand because she does not want to draw attention to herself. In this moment, after a lifetime spent with an urge to fly, Marian discovers a new way of exerting control: By refusing herself the delights of flying, she is atoning for her past mistakes. This decision is the ultimate expression of agency, as she abandons a key theme in her life so that she can be happy.