i be surprise that so many viewer do not find all the symbolism in the movie . it what make the movie an incredible work of art . the story deal with some of the sad content a movie could hold and yet it be one of the best movie i have ever see because of the need for your own imagination and the brilliance in the storyline . if you will pay close attention and the message be there . the young brother be kill by the stepfather . the old brother make up the story about the wagon fly a a way to deal with the pain of his brother death . there be those that would argue why would he lie to his own child with the story . to me the answer be because he doesn not want to share such ugliness with his own child and or that he have block it out and replace his memory of the horrific event with the thought of his brother fly away to safety . i have read some of the review that believe he be an only child and that he create the young brother a an escape to deal with the abuse he suffer . although this be an interesting idea i love the imagination use to come up with that . i do not think he would have lie to his own child about have a little brother . but and i do find it plausible that he would have lie about his little brother death . however and i like that idea of an end much good than the notion that the movie have no symbolism at all . there be many different take you can have on the movie and but if you take the movie at face value . two brother create a wagon that fly to escape an abusive stepfather you have miss the brilliance . the fact that i be able to see the subtle message in the script be what make the movie so incredible to me . it require your own thought process and your own imagination to make it work . dig deep when you watch it . you will be amaze at the genius contain in the film . the only other movie i have see a close to this in symbolism and subtle message be pleasantville . but that a comment for another movie .