All Because of the Mistake

The second-person point of view in this story is interesting, because the "you" is not the reader. The story is about the main character, and is told by him. I think this kind of second-person works because it draws the reader into the action, while not requiring him to become a character. He can associate with the "you" of the main character.

Another thing I found interesting was that the specific action of the story (flying an airplane) was not important to the theme. The character could have been doing anything. It was the psychological process of learning that mattered. I think this is why the author chose the second-person, because it keeps the story real but also general. The character is detailing real action, but he is doing so in a general way, so that the "you" can be anyone, and that theme of learning can be applied to anything, not just flying an airplane.

I think the airplane aspect is important in another way, because it really makes the story. It's not important to the theme, but without the detail about flying, there wouldn't be a story. It's a good lesson about writing fiction, that not everything has to be directly related to the theme. Do anemometers and maneuvers and the other technical details of the story really matter? They contribute to the story as entertainment, and the theme is made in a subtle way around them. It isn't until the end that the mistake made at the beginning of the story is related to the theme. Before that it's just an event that we experience through someone's eyes, which is what makes a story entertaining.

Is there any particular reason why we aren't given personal details about the main character, such as name and age? Would they make the story better?