Very brief content last inch. Analysis of the novella “The Last Inch” by James Aldridge

19.09.2020

During the lesson, students will become familiar with the plot and composition of Aldridge’s story “The Last Inch”, during the analysis they will characterize the main characters and draw a conclusion about the main idea and problems of the story.

Topic: Foreign literature of the twentieth century

Lesson: James Aldridge's short story "The Last Inch"

In my books the main theme is always

the same thing - choice, choice of path,

choice of action, choice of worldview.

Aldridge James

Rice. 1. Photo. J. Aldridge (1918) ()

Aldridge James(Fig. 1) - English writer and public figure. The work of a journalist and war correspondent, who visited many fronts of World War II 1939-45, became for Aldridge a school of life experience and skill. His artistic reports, novels, and short stories reflected the heroism of the people's Resistance and the changes that the world-historical victory over fascism entailed.

Aldridge responds vividly to the exciting issues of the time. The writer is attracted by the fate of a simple person who, in dramatic circumstances, triumphs over despair. A striking example of this was story "The Last Inch".

Plot. The meaning of the name.

The main characters of the story- this is 43-year-old pilot Ben and his 10-year-old son Davy. The relationship between them is complicated. Ben worked all the time, so he devoted very little time to his child. His wife Joanna was dissatisfied with life in the deserts of Arabia and eventually left her husband and son and went home to New England. So Ben had to raise his son himself. To somehow get closer to him, Ben took Davy with him on the flight. They flew to Shark Bay on the Red Sea. Here Ben was supposed to conduct underwater filming for a television company that paid good money for videos from the life of sea predators, sharks. During filming, sharks attacked Ben, and he barely made it to shore alive. The 10-year-old boy managed to provide first aid to his father, but the pilot could not fly the plane himself. This difficult task fell on Davy's shoulders. At first it seemed simply impossible. However, the boy not only managed to lift the plane into the air, but also fly to the airfield, and even land the plane. Thus, son saved father. At the end of the story, Audridge writes about how the relationship between father and son has changed.

Thus, The title of the story is symbolic: the main characters managed to overcome “the last inch that...”, according to the author, “... separates everyone and everything.”

Inch (from Dutch - thumb) - a unit of distance in some European non-metric systems. 1 English inch = 2.54 cm. Historically, the width of an adult man's thumb. The word “inch” was introduced into the Russian language by Peter I at the very beginning of the 18th century.

Composition of the story “The Last Inch”

The exposition is the author’s story about the events that preceded the flight to the bay;
The plot - Ben is forced to take his son with him;
Development of the action - flight to the bay, preparation for shooting, descent under water;
The climax is Ben's injury; the incredible efforts of father and son to survive;
The outcome is a successful landing at Cairo airfield; the beginning of a new, truly family relationship.

Characteristics of heroes. Father and son.

Ben is 43 years old. He is a high class pilot. In the past he had everything: his favorite job, his wife, his child. When Ben lost his job, he suddenly felt acutely that both he and his loved ones were deeply unhappy. And the reason for this is that there is no family in which there would be mutual understanding, love, support. “So he was left with nothing, except for an indifferent wife who did not need him, and a ten-year-old son, born too late and, as Ben understood in the depths of his soul, a stranger to both of them - a lonely, restless child who, at ten years old, felt that his mother was not interested in him, and his father was a stranger, harsh and taciturn, who did not know what to talk to him about in those rare moments when they were together.”

Everything changed when his wife left, leaving her 10-year-old son. Probably only then did Ben finally realize that he was a father who had to raise his child and take care of him. However, it turned out that this was difficult, Ben was irritable, impatient, and it turned out that he did not know how to talk to his son at all. Perhaps, in order to somehow get closer, the pilot decided to take his son with him.

Reading the story, you realize how irresponsibly Ben acted. Having gone to a remote, deserted area, he did not even inform anyone about the route, and in the event of an accident the plane would have been searched for a long time and would hardly have been found. In addition, having taken the boy with him, the father did not even stock up on drinking water, and only took beer as a drink. These details do not make my father look good; we condemn him for his indifference and heartlessness. We feel sorry for the boy. Watching him, we note his silence, isolation, gloominess. What is he thinking about as he stealthily watches his father? What does it feel like? Hatred? Love? Offense? The writer does not reveal this mystery to us. Until tragic events occurred.

“I’ll tell you, son, and you try to understand. Do you hear? “Ben could barely hear himself and for a second even forgot about the pain. “You, poor fellow, will have to do everything yourself, it just so happens.” Don't be upset if I yell at you. There's no time for offense here. You don't have to pay attention to it, okay?

- Yes. — Davy was bandaging left hand and did not listen to him.

- Well done! “Ben wanted to cheer up the child, but he wasn’t very successful. He did not yet know how to approach the boy, but he understood that it was necessary. A ten-year-old child had to complete a task of inhuman difficulty. If he wants to survive. But everything must go in order..."

note- for the first time Ben addressed the boy SON, for the first time he was seriously concerned about his fate. Ben is not thinking about his own life, his task is to save his son.

“The only hope to save the boy was a plane, and Davy would have to fly it. There was no other hope, no other way out. But first we need to think about everything thoroughly. The boy must not be frightened. If Davy is told that he will have to fly the plane, he will be horrified. We need to think carefully about how to tell the boy about this, how to instill this idea in him and convince him to do everything, even unconsciously. It was necessary to grope to find the way to the fear-ridden, immature consciousness of the child.”

It is at this moment that it happens a turning point in the relationship between father and son. At the moment of danger, they realized how dear each other was. Both make incredible efforts to save themselves. The father tries to overcome the terrible pain from his wounds, the boy overcomes his fear and lifts the plane into the air. The boy’s heroism amazes his father, and the thought comes to him that he made an irreparable mistake in the past: “ Is it really possible to live with your son for years and not see his face?" - Ben thinks.

Quotes, which show how Ben saw his son:

“He seems to be a developed guy,” Ben thought, surprised at the strange train of his thoughts. This boy with a serious face was somewhat similar to himself: behind his childish features there was hidden, perhaps, a tough and even unbridled character.”

"Good guy! He will fly. He can handle it! Ben saw Davy's sharply outlined profile, his pale face with dark eyes in which it was so difficult for him to read anything. The father looked at this face again. “Nobody even bothered to take him to the dentist,” Ben said to himself, noticing Davy’s slightly protruding teeth; he bared his teeth painfully, straining. “But he can handle it,” Ben thought wearily and conciliatoryly.”

Boy's feelings:

“He was afraid of his father. True, not now. Now he simply could not look at him: he was sleeping with his mouth open, half naked, covered in blood. He didn't want his father to die; he didn’t want his mother to die, but nothing can be done: it happens. People always die."

Reading the story, you think: does something terrible, tragic really have to happen in life for a person to understand how dear the people closest to him are to him? For the heroes of the story, this is exactly what happened. It’s good that they have the opportunity ahead to fix everything:

“He, Ben, will now need all his life, all the life that the boy gave him. But, looking into those dark eyes, at those slightly protruding teeth, at that face, so unusual for an American, Ben decided that the game was worth the candle. It's worth investing time into. He will get to the very heart of the boy! Sooner or later, he will get to it. The last inch that separates everyone and everything is not easy to overcome unless you are a master of your craft. But being a master of your craft is a pilot’s responsibility, and Ben was once a very good pilot.”

These words contain the main idea of Aldridge's story.

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Write a quotation outline for Aldridge's story "The Last Inch."
Write an essay on the topic: “The last inch is not easy to overcome.”

James Aldridge's story "The Last Inch" is often compared to "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. There are many related aspects in the works of writers. These are, first of all, the topics that occupied the writers, a similar system of values, problems and central characters of the works. However, it is impossible to equate the famous Australian and American.

Aldridge reimagines the theme of courage. Abolishing romance and mysticism, the author depicts heroism in an everyday way. His prose is devoid of beauty and artistic delights. The author's writing style is succinct, precise, a little dry in some places, but in no way primitive. Thanks to its deep psychologism and drama, Aldridge’s “male” prose does not leave you indifferent. Her reticence turns out to be very eloquent.

Having started his writing career as a war correspondent, James Aldridge achieves success in both journalism and literature. From 1944 to 1945 it was located on the territory of the USSR. An ardent anti-fascist, Aldridge admires the fortitude and courage of the Soviet people. In Russia, the talented European was loved and even awarded the Lenin Prize “For Strengthening Peace Between Nations.” But in the West, the friend of the Soviet Country was not particularly favored. Aldridge was never a media writer like, say, Hemingway.

Over the years, political ambitions are a thing of the past, only art is immortal - the brilliant novels written by Aldridge in the 50s and 40s (A Matter of Honor, The Sea Eagle, The Diplomat, The Hunter, Hero of Desert Horizons "), journalism and masterpieces of short prose (stories and tales “Shark Cage”, “Russian Finn”, “The Last Inch” and others).

The story “The Last Inch” is a pearl of short prose by James Aldridge. It is invariably included in the writer’s collected works. And world cinema has immortalized the plot of the work on the screen. Domestic audiences are well aware of the cult film from directors Nikita Kurikhin and Theodor Vulfovich. It was released on Soviet screens in 1958. The main roles were played by Slava Muratov (Davey) and Nikolai Kryukov (Ben).

James Aldridge believed that literary fiction should be based on real life experience. “The Last Inch” was no exception. Main character story - a professional pilot. The writer was well acquainted with flying - in his youth he attended London pilot courses.

The events of the work develop in Egypt. Aldridge knew about this exotic country not from books. He lived in Cairo for a long time and even dedicated the book “Cairo. Biography of the city". The idea for “The Last Inch” was born after visiting Shark Bay in Egypt. Aldridge subsequently moved his literary heroes there - the pilot Ben and his ten-year-old son Davey.

Let us remember how the events of the story “The Last Inch” developed.

Flying is the main passion in Ben's life. Even after twenty years at the controls of an airplane, he takes great pleasure in soaring above the clouds, and enjoys the youthful joy of yet another virtuoso landing. Heaven is the only place where Ben is truly happy. He has a wife and a ten-year-old son, Davey. However, family members are strangers to each other. The wife, who was always burdened by travel and the languid heat of Egypt, finally returned to her native Massachusetts. Davey, who was “born too late,” was not needed by his parents. A lonely, restless child grew up withdrawn and, most likely, suffered from the indifference of his mother and the indifference of his father.

But Ben didn't care. He was worried about only one thing - the prospect of an early retirement. The life of a pilot is short. At forty-three, Ben was already considered an old man. Finding work became more and more difficult. He took on any task, as long as it paid him a lot. Having earned money, you can send Davey to his mother, and rush to Canada yourself. There, it may be possible to hide your age and continue to fly.

Ben now works for a television company. He flies to Shark Bay, which can only be reached by air, and takes underwater photography. The work is dangerous, but highly paid. That day was Ben's last flight to Shark Bay.

In a fit of paternal feelings, which manifested themselves quite rarely, Ben took Davey on the flight. Already at the beginning of the journey, he mentally cursed himself for his rash act. He didn’t know his son at all; the boy’s presence weighed heavily on him. Ben kept getting irritated and could not understand what this silent, dark-eyed boy was thinking about.

To somehow defuse the situation, the father instructs his son: “When you level the plane, you need to keep the distance six inches. Not a foot or three, but exactly six inches! If you take it higher, you will hit it during landing and damage the plane. Too low and you'll hit a bump and roll over. It's all about the last inch."

Arriving at the bay, Ben notes with annoyance what a useless father he is - he took only beer and not a drop of water, forgetting that a ten-year-old boy does not drink alcohol. I have to pour the child some beer to quench his thirst in the desert heat.

The first dive is successful. Ben takes a lot of great shots. After taking a short nap on the shore, he puts on his scuba gear again - he needs to photograph the cat shark. To attract the predator, Ben takes a specially brought horse leg. Perched on a reef ledge, he captures how the sharks, one after another, fly up to the bait and bite into the fresh meat with their powerful jaws. But the “cat” was not swimming towards his leg; it was heading straight towards Ben. Only now he notices a fatal mistake - the blood from the horse's leg has stained his hands and chest - he is doomed.

The next moment, Ben is burned by the thought of Davey. The bay can only be reached by sky. Nobody knows that the boy and his father flew here. When they start looking for Davey, he will already die of thirst and hunger. Ben absolutely must not die here, underwater. Making superhuman efforts, he fights off the predator and swims ashore.

Waking up after a short faint, Ben realizes that he is still alive. However, the shark severely maimed him - his legs were completely cut up, one arm was covered in blood, the other was almost torn off. Ben gives himself one single goal - to live out this day, to bring his son to the city. In between fainting spells, he asks Davey to bandage his wounds, drag him to the plane, and prepare for takeoff. The main thing is that the boy does not get scared or panic. Poor guy, he still doesn’t suspect that he will have to drive the car alone! And he, Ben, doesn’t know his son at all. We need to unravel the psychology of this dear and such a strange boy.

Davey endures his trials stoically. He may be ten, but today his father’s life depends on him. He understands maps and knows how to get to Cairo. “Alone at three thousand feet, Davey decided he would never be able to cry again. His tears have dried up forever." However, the most crucial moment is still ahead - landing and the last inch. After nearly crashing into a taking off plane, a ten-year-old pilot and his bleeding father land. There is silence. Ben closes his eyes. Now you can die.

However, fate played another joke - the pilot Ben did not die. Egyptian doctors called him lucky - numerous wounds healed before his eyes. True, the victim lost one arm, as well as his pilot’s career.

But Ben didn't care. He was worried about only one thing - how to get to his son’s heart. After the tragedy, this suddenly became of paramount importance. Planes, money, even a lost hand - all this now seemed trivial. Ben knows he has a long, hard job ahead of him. But he is ready to devote his whole life to her. The life that the boy gave him. The game, the father is convinced, is worth the candle.

Thanks to its versatility, the story “The Last Inch” is interesting to a wide range of people. An intriguing plot, tension that does not weaken until the very end, attracts the general reader. The psychological line, which develops in parallel with the adventurous one, represents a vast field for literary research.

The problem of survival and relationships

The story states two problems: human behavior in extreme conditions (the theme of courage in the face of death) and the relationship between father and son. Both problems are closely interrelated.

The main characters (Ben and Davey) do not perform feats for the sake of the people or the whole of humanity, each of them is simply saving his own life. But the scale of the “battle” does not in any way detract from the value of the feat. Ben has no right to die, because his cowardly death will destroy his son. Ten-year-old Davey does not allow himself to cry and be scared like a child, he is forced to save himself, because this is the only way to help out his dad.

The father, who never had the time or desire to take care of his son, and the son, who was afraid of an irritable, hot-tempered parent, find themselves in the same harness in the face of death. This terrible flight over the Red Sea changed something in both of them. The author does not paint an idyllic final picture of the reunion of father and son. The human soul is much more complex - it cannot simply be switched to the “love”, “friendship”, “affection” mode. Aldridge leaves the ending open. The further fate of Ben and Davey is as vague for him as it is for the reader. It only sends a tiny ray of light into the distance of the future. This is the desire of the heroes to meet each other halfway.

Very briefly: A pilot who lost his job tries to make money by filming sharks. He takes his ten-year-old son to the filming, with whom his relationship is not going well. A shark attacks the pilot, and the son saves his wounded father.

The chapter titles are arbitrary and do not correspond to the original.

Ben's life story

Ben was a good pilot. He gained the necessary experience by flying in Canada on an old DC-3 plane. In recent years, he flew Fairchild, searching for oil for the non-export company Texegypto. To land the geologists, Ben could land the plane anywhere: “on sand, on bushes, on the rocky bottoms of dry streams and on the long white sandbanks of the Red Sea,” each time winning the last inch above the ground.

But now this work is over. The company's management abandoned attempts to find a large oil field and decided that they did not need a reconnaissance aircraft. Ben turned 43 years old. The wife, unable to bear life in the hot Egyptian desert, left for her native Massachusetts. Ben promised to come to her, but he understood that he would not be able to get hired as a pilot in his old age, and “decent and decent” work did not attract him.

Now Ben only has a ten-year-old son, Davy, whom his wife did not consider necessary to take with her. He was a withdrawn child, lonely and restless. His mother was not interested in him, and the boy was afraid of his father, a harsh man of few words. For Ben, his son was a stranger and an incomprehensible person with whom he did not even try to find a common language.

Shark attack

And now he regretted taking his son with him - the Oster plane Ben had rented was shaking violently, and the boy was feeling sick. Taking Davy to the Red Sea was another of Ben's generous impulses, which rarely ended well. During one of these outbursts, he taught the boy how to fly an airplane. Although Davy was a smart child, his father's harsh shouts eventually brought him to tears.

Ben's next job brought him to the secluded shore of the Red Sea: he had to film sharks. The television company paid well for a meter of film with such a film. Landing the plane on a long sandbar, Ben forced his son to watch and learn, although the boy was very sick.

The sandbank formed Shark Bay, so named because of its toothy inhabitants. After giving his son several sharp orders, Ben disappeared into the water. Davy sat on the shore until lunch, looking at the deserted sea, and thinking what would happen to him if his father did not return. The predators were not very active today, and Ben decided to lure them with the horse’s leg, which he took with him. He had already shot several meters of film when a cat shark became interested in him.

The fish was four feet long and weighed God knows how much; she looked at him from her hiding place, just like the last time - a week ago. She probably lived here for at least a hundred years.

She swam too close, and Ben hurried to get ashore.

During lunch, he discovered that he only took beer with him - he again did not think about his son, who does not drink beer. The boy wondered if anyone knew about this trip. Ben said that this bay can only be reached by air; he did not understand that the boy was afraid not of uninvited guests, but of loneliness.

Ben hated and feared sharks, but after lunch he dived again, this time with bait. With the money received from the film, he hoped to send Davy to his mother.

The predators gathered around the meat, but the cat shark rushed at the man. Ben climbed out onto the sand, bleeding profusely. When Davy ran up to him, it turned out that the shark had almost torn off Ben's right arm and severely damaged his left. The legs were also all cut up and chewed.

Ben realized that things were very bad for him, but he could not die. He had to fight for Davy. Only now he tried to find an approach to the boy and persuade him to sit at the controls of the plane.

Father and son

Constantly losing consciousness, Ben lay down on a towel and pushed off the sand with his feet while his son dragged him to the plane. So that his father could climb into the passenger seat, Davy piled stones and pieces of coral in front of the plane and dragged his father along this ramp.

You can do anything in life, Davy,” he said in a weak voice, “if you don’t strain yourself.” Don't stress yourself...

Only now did Davy realize that the role of pilot was going to him. Meanwhile, a strong wind rose and it began to get dark. Ben sincerely regretted that he had not bothered to get to know this gloomy boy, and now he could not find the right words to cheer him up.

Following his father's instructions, Davy barely got the plane into the air. The boy remembered the map, knew how to use a compass and knew that he had to fly along the Suez Canal and then turn towards Cairo. Ben was unconscious almost the entire way. He woke up just before landing. With difficulty rising in his chair, Ben helped his son get into the car. At the same time, they miraculously missed a huge four-engine plane.

To the surprise of Egyptian doctors, Ben survived, although he lost his left arm along with the ability to fly airplanes. Now he had one concern: to find a way to his son’s heart, to overcome the last inch separating them.

The idea for the novella “The Last Inch” arose from the outstanding English writer James Aldridge when he visited Shark Bay in Egypt.

However, inspired by this exotic location and the risky underwater filming, Aldridge dedicated his work to valuable human qualities - courage, bravery and inner strength, which pushes people forward.

The story “The Last Inch” is a story about the formation of personality and about overcoming fear for the sake of life, for the sake of love for yourself, your loved ones and the world around you.

"The Last Inch" follows professional pilot Ben and his son as they travel to Shark Bay to film a documentary. Ben is attacked by one of the sharks and is injured, now he cannot move.

But Ben is tormented not only by the pain he experiences, but by the realization that his ten-year-old son Davy may be completely alone and will not be able to find his way back if something happens to his father.

The next problem is the difficult relationship between son and father. It was always difficult for them to find a common language, and the main reason for this was that the father never looked for him

But now father and son must cooperate in such difficult and life-defining circumstances. Ben has to overcome pain and torment, and encourage Davy, because he understands that the only way to save them is by plane. And a ten-year-old boy will have to fly the plane.

The hero overcoming his own fear and powerlessness

Ben understands that the most important thing now is not to lose heart and believe that everything will work out. These thoughts help him gain strength, get up and, with the help of his son, get to the plane and tell him what to do.

Aldridge creates a picture of a decisive moment in a person's life - when everything depends on courage and fearlessness. The main character of the short story “The Last Inch” does not remember how scared he is, does not think about all the dangers that await him and his son, and does not allow physical pain to control him.

Despite the fact that it will be very difficult physically and mentally for little Davy to fly the plane, Ben believes in him and believes in his own strength. He is driven forward by his boundless love for life, his own and the life of his ten-year-old son, who can save them both.

Davy managed to do everything that was necessary - he brought the plane to Cairo and managed to land it on the ground. He accomplished a real feat and gave life to his father and himself.

But Ben himself accomplished the feat; he overcame his fears and depressing powerlessness, managed to start moving and charged his frightened son with his vital energy. It was thanks to him that Dani managed to give birth to fearlessness and courage, which are difficult to be born in adult men.

Human strength and fearlessness

James Aldridge's novella is a manifesto dedicated to human strength and fearless courage, which at the decisive moment can change or save lives.

The self-control of pilot Ben and the amazing courage of his son are vivid examples of the fact that a person is always stronger than circumstances. The writer shows that the most important thing is not to give up and believe in yourself and the strength of your personality.

Working in Canada on an old DC-3 plane gave Ben “good training”, thanks to which in recent years he flew a Fairchild over the Egyptian deserts, looking for oil for an oil export company. To drop off the geologists, Ben could land the plane anywhere: “on sand, on bushes, on the rocky bottoms of dry streams and on the long white sandbanks of the Red Sea,” each time “winning the last inch above the ground.”

But now this work is over: the company’s management has abandoned attempts to find a large oil field. Ben turned 43 years old. The wife, unable to bear life in the “foreign village of Arabia,” left for her native Massachusetts. Ben promised to come to her, but he understood that in his old age he would not be able to get hired as a pilot, and “decent and decent” work did not attract him.

Now Ben only has a ten-year-old son, Davy, whom his wife did not consider necessary to take with her. He was a withdrawn child, lonely and restless. His mother was not interested in him, and the boy was afraid of his father, harsh and taciturn. For Ben, his son was a stranger and an incomprehensible person with whom he did not even try to find a common language.

And now he regretted that he took his son with him: the rental plane “Oster” was shaking violently, and the boy was feeling sick. Taking Davy to the Red Sea was another of Ben's generous impulses, which rarely ended well. During one of these impulses, he tried to teach the boy to fly an airplane. Although Davy was a smart child, his father's harsh shouts eventually brought him to tears.

Ben was brought to the secluded shore of the Red Sea by a desire to make money: he had to film sharks. The television company paid well for a meter of film with such a film. Landing the plane on a long sandbar, Ben forced his son to watch and learn, although the boy was very sick. “It’s all about the last inch,” the pilot instructed.

The predators were not very active today. He had already shot several meters of film when a cat shark became interested in him. She swam too close, and Ben hurried to get ashore.

During lunch, he discovered that he only took beer with him - he again did not think about his son who does not drink beer. The boy wondered if anyone knew about this trip. Ben said that this bay can only be reached by air; he did not understand that the boy was not afraid of uninvited guests, but of being left alone.

Ben hated and was afraid of sharks, but after lunch he dived again, this time with bait - a horse's leg. With the money received from the film, he hoped to send Davy to his mother. The predators gathered around the meat, but the cat shark rushed at the man...

Dripping with blood, Ben climbed out onto the sand. When Davy ran up to him, it turned out that the shark had almost torn off Ben's right arm and severely damaged his left. The legs were also all cut up and chewed. The pilot realized that his affairs were very bad, but Ben could not die: he had to fight for Davy’s sake.

Only now the father tried to find an approach to the boy in order to calm him down and prepare him for an independent flight. Constantly losing consciousness, Ben lay down on a towel and pushed off the sand with his feet while his son dragged him to the “oster.” So that his father could climb into the passenger seat, Davy piled stones and fragments of coral in front of the airplane door and dragged his father along this ramp. Meanwhile, a strong wind rose and it began to get dark. Ben sincerely regretted that he had not bothered to recognize this gloomy boy and now could not find the right words to cheer him up.

Following his father's instructions, Davy barely got the plane into the air. The boy remembered the map, knew how to use a compass and knew that he had to fly along the sea coast to the Suez Canal, and then turn towards Cairo. Ben was unconscious almost the entire way. He woke up when they were approaching the airfield. “Ben knew that the last inch was approaching and everything was in the boy’s hands.” With incredible effort, the father rose in his chair and helped his son get into the car. At the same time, they miraculously missed a huge four-engine plane.

To the surprise of Egyptian doctors, Ben survived, although he lost his left arm along with the ability to fly airplanes. Now he had one concern - to find a way to his son's heart, to overcome the last inch separating them.

You read summary short stories The Last Inch. We will be glad if you take the time to read it in full.