The two parachutists Isma sees in the skylight window of her studio apartment represent her and Aneeka. Looking at them, Isma contemplates that “in almost all human history, figures descending from the sky would have been angels or gods or demons—or Icarus hurtling down, his father, Daedalus, following too slowly to catch the vainglorious boy” (14). Because Isma raised Aneeka, she sees herself as a mother figure for her, and she associates herself with Daedalus who tries but fails to save his child from death.

Isma believes that she is the one who taught Aneeka how to fly: She worked very hard and abandoned her own ambitions to provide for the family, and as a result, Aneeka grew up in a supportive environment and eventually enrolled in a prestigious program at the London School of Economics. As much as Isma wanted to build a safe and stable life for Aneeka, she could see that her sister has a rebellious streak in her, which eventually would spur her to fly too close to the sun. By using the symbol of Daedalus and Icarus, Shamsie draws from Greek mythology, but by presenting the main characters as parachutists, she adapts the story for a contemporary

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now