37 pages • 1 hour read
Richard BachIllusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1977A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Airplanes
Airplanes in this novel symbolize flight and freedom. Richard and Don’s airplanes specifically symbolize their journey to enlightenment. Each represents its owner’s character: Richard’s biplane is ordinary and common. This is symbolic of his role as an everyman. Don’s airplane, in contrast, is unique, pristine, and perfect. It is magical, running without gas and defying the laws of physics. The Travel Air 4000 reflects Don’s ability to manipulate the universe to accommodate his comfort and happiness. As Richard practices Don’s philosophies, his plane becomes more like Don’s, such as in Chapter 19, when Richard’s windshields have no bugs on them, and the Fleet uses less fuel.
In Chapter 2, Richard’s initial explanation of his theory that people could not conceive of airplanes before they truly believed that flight was possible symbolizes the beginning of his spiritual journey. This idea also shows Richard’s potential to learn Don’s teachings. In this sense, Richard’s beliefs about aerodynamics create the foundation of his understanding of the divine.
Crowds
Crowds are used to symbolize the limitations of public perception. Richard and Don’s interactions with crowds always have a negative, ominous tone. The crowds are presented the same teachings that Richard and Sarah receive personally; however, their reaction changes drastically. Crowds symbolize that, when an individual participates in the collective thinking of a group, they are subscribing to certain limitations that inhibit ultimate happiness and freedom.
Richard’s fear of crowds foreshadows the violence Don experiences at the novel’s end and, at the same time, shows Richard’s potential for the role of messiah. Richard resists conforming to group mentality, and, because he avoids mass gatherings, he has the capacity to say what he knows without meeting the same fate as Don. Richard disseminates his truth by writing Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah and learns that his fear of crowds does not have to keep him from spreading his message.
Quitting
The idea of quitting is a common motif in this novel. Quitting represents the path to ultimate enlightenment and The Freedom to Be. In Chapter 1, Don quits his job as a messiah: Don asks the “Is” if he can quit, and he is given permission to do whatever he would like with his life. Afterward, Don abandons his attempts to speak to the masses and disappears into his new life as a barnstormer. When Richard shows skepticism in Don’s ability because of his willingness to quit his job as a messiah, Don explains that quitting what makes you unhappy is exactly in line with his teachings. However, the crowds did not understand that because they were more interested in witnessing his miracles than accepting his message.
In Chapter 6, Richard subconsciously follows Don’s philosophy by choosing not to worry about Don and his teachings. When Richard gives himself permission to quit being a student, he experiences happiness and contentedness for the first time.
Don ultimately chooses to quit his role of messiah when he facilitates his own death. In Don’s final moments, he insinuates that he is choosing to leave this dimension and exist in different terms. This idea is reiterated when Richard speaks with Don in the Epilogue, and Don says he is not coming back.
The public rejects the idea of quitting, defining the limitations of collective thought. The female caller on the radio show in Chapter 17 explains that she does not have the option to quit, and Don contradicts her (168). The woman, representative of the public, cannot accept that she has the freedom to do what she likes. She cannot quit what she believes is and, therefore, can never obtain a limitless freedom.
