The Wright Brothers Essay

To prove them wrong. That’s what the siblings, Wilbur and Orville Wright strived to accomplish with their innovative ‘flying machine’. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough is a biography on the two Wright brothers, who brought humanity to the skies. The biography spans the time from their younger years to their deaths; it recounts their childhood in Dayton Ohio, the hardships of building a plane in Kitty Hawk, and the frustration of gaining public acceptance. The book has both accounts of personal and domestic stories as well as technical and scientific accounts of the creation of the first flying machine. The theme of the text is to persevere against the odds, for even if the whole world thinks you’re crazy, hard work and diligence will bring you success. Although the book creates a well-balanced story of both emotional and technical interpretations, it oftentimes gets too detailed.
Once they achieved fruitful endeavors in running a print shop and …show more content…
The book was written by a two time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, making McCullough an excellent narrator for the history of the Wright Brothers, but questionable on his qualifications on scientific details, having no experience on the field. Furthermore, some of the book adopted a slightly misogynistic tone, skimming over the numerous achievements of the Wright sister, Katherine, who despite the gender barriers and the struggles of having to take the place of their mother at 15, managed to be the only sibling to obtain a college degree and become the director of the Young Woman's League of Dayton and advocate for suffrage, all while supporting the entire family with a stable teaching