Dragonwings

Moon Shadow and Windrider head for the Tang town with Lefty, who warns them to be careful of the soldiers. He remarks that the soldiers only helped them earlier because a white woman was with them. They see drunken soldiers looting the ruins. They meet Uncle Bright Star in Chinatown, where the laundromat is still standing, and persuade him to come to the park. At Golden Gate Park, people have set up tents, and some soldiers are rationing bread. Moon Shadow realizes that there are good soldiers and bad soldiers. Windrider invites the Whitlaws to join the Company for dinner. The men are initially nervous, until Miss Whitlaw offers them a bottle of brandy. The dinner goes well, and as the days pass, Uncle and Miss Whitlaw trade stories and build a friendship.

Days later, the firefighters tame the fires, but eventually, “demon soldiers” (188) demand that the Chinese people leave the park. The army rounds up all the Chinese people and forbids them from returning to Chinatown. Some leave for other cities, but ultimately, Uncle Bright Star helps negotiate a deal with the authorities, demanding their right to return to the Tang town and pointing out the financial cost for the city if the Chinese businesses should close. The Chinese community starts rebuilding the Tang town. The Whitlaws move to Oakland, where Miss Whitlaw finds a job as a housekeeper. Windrider and Moon Shadow talk about flying, and Windrider compares flying to freedom, confessing that he is still determined to pursue his dream of flying. When Windrider informs the Company of his intentions, Uncle is outraged and asserts that his family will starve. Moon Shadow announces that he also wants to fly and encourages Windrider. Uncle Bright Star disowns them, but Moon Shadow understands that he only does this because he is “hurt and confused” (200).

Moon Shadow and Windrider move to Oakland, where they live in a barn on the former estate of a rich family. Moon Shadow finds a job delivering groceries, while Windrider works as a repair person. They manage to send money back home once a month. Windrider spends most of his time working on airplane models. When they receive a letter from China, Moon Shadow’s grandmother calls Windrider “a fool” and “a disgrace to the family” (205), but Moon Shadow’s mother sends a special letter addressed only to him and encourages him to support Windrider, of whom she is proud. Windrider realizes that he has not seen his wife in 12 years. Moon Shadow and Windrider spend the next three years struggling in Oakland. Moon Shadow expresses his love of San Francisco and realizes that the dream of the golden mountain relates to all the people of this city, like the Company and the Whitlaws. Moon Shadow and Windrider visit the Whitlaws regularly. Windrider constructs an airplane and paints it like a dragon. Missing his mother, Moon Shadow wishes they might accomplish their other dream of bringing her to America. With the Whitlaws’ help, they officially christen the airplane Dragonwings.

One day, Moon Shadow returns to the barn and finds Black Dog inside, searching through their belongings. He again tells Moon Shadow about life’s ugliness, criticizes their humble living arrangements, and mocks their aspirations of flying. When Moon Shadow accuses Black Dog of jealousy, Black Dog threatens Moon Shadow with a knife and demands money. Windrider arrives and throws the money over to Black Dog, saving his son’s life. Black Dog leaves. Father and son are now unable to pay the rent or to afford the equipment necessary for testing Dragonwings. Windrider feels his dream has ended. Moon Shadow calls Miss Whitlaw to cancel their upcoming visit and announces that they are moving out. Miss Whitlaw suspects that something is wrong. Moon Shadow and Windrider go for a walk in the hills. Moon Shadow hopes they can build another Dragonwings in the future.

Moon Shadow wakes up to find the Company waiting outside the barn. Uncle Bright Star announces that the Company will lend them the money they need and will assist with flying Dragonwings. Windrider is hesitant but realizes that “[i]t’s not a shameful thing to take money from friends” (229). The group eats together, and Windrider shows them his flying machines, explaining the aeronautical mechanics. Later, they pull the plane up the hill. Moon Shadow sees that Dragonwings is too big and heavy and begins to fear for his father’s safety. Miss Whitlaw and Robin arrive, and after some preparations, Windrider finally flies. Watching his father fly, Moon Shadow is happy and proud that his father has achieved his dream and is now “free in the sky” (237). Windrider makes circles above the hill as everybody cheers. Suddenly, Dragonwings’ frame breaks, and the propeller detaches and flies away. Windrider attempts to control the plane but eventually crashes. He survives with a few injuries, and Miss Whitlaw sends Robin for a doctor.

When Windrider regains consciousness, he announces that he will never build another Dragonwings. Now that he knows he can fly, he realizes that his family is more important and says, “[T]here’s more to being a dragon than just flying” (242). Finally, Uncle Bright Star asks Windrider to join the Company as a partner, and Windrider accepts. Time passes, and Black Dog was found murdered in an alley. Uncle hides his inner grief and comes to regard Windrider as his “spiritual son” (244). They always keep in touch with the Whitlaws. In the summer, Windrider finally arranges papers and sails for China to bring Moon Shadow’s mother to the United States. The story ends as Moon Shadow sits with Robin at the house where Miss Whitlaw works. Moon Shadow tells Robin that he is lucky. He knows he has many problems to face but he is not afraid. Robin says she feels lucky too. She challenges him to a race when Miss Whitlaw announces there are cookies for them.

In the book’s Afterword, Yep explains that the term “Tang” or T’ang, refers to the Tang dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907. Though the narrative is inspired by Chinese aviator Fung Joe Guey, Yep offers a fictional story to explore the primary experiences involved in Chinese immigration. He notes that Chinese immigrants remain a “faceless mass […] or lifeless abstractions to be manipulated by historians” (247). This story aims to counter the stereotypes of Chinese Americans and to demonstrate that “[they] are human beings upon whom America has had a unique effect” (248).