A Bird in the House

1. A Bird in the House

2. Theme Death and Afterlife “He didn’t need to be saved,” I went on coldly, distinctly. “And he is not in heaven, because there is no heaven. And it doesn’t mater, see? It doesn’t matter!” Pg. 105 “What do you think about all that stuff, Dad?” I asked hesitantly as I walked. “What stuff, honey?” “Oh Heaven and Hell, and like that.” My father laughed. “Have you been listening to Noreen to much? Well, I don’t know. I don’t think they’re actual places. Maybe they stand for something that happens all the time here, or else doesn’t happen. It’s kind of hard to explain. I guess I’m not so good at explanations.” Pg. 101 Guilt: “Looking at Noreen now, I suddenly recalled the sparrow, I felt physically sick, remembering the fearful darting and plunging of those wings, and the fact that it was I who had opened the window to let it in.” Pg. 104

3. Setting ‘In some families, please is described as the magic word. In our house, however it was sorry.’ Pg.90

4. Title Significance The title of this story is also the title of the collection, it holds significance to the novel as a whole: -The bird was trapped in the storm window, and then trapped in the house, the bird represents the many characters of the story as they struggle like the bird to escape their own prisons.

5. Characterization ‘My father need not be worried Noreen getting married. She was, as it turns out, interested not in boys but in God. My mother was relieved about the boys but alarmed about God. “It isn’t natural,” she said, “for a girl of seventeen. Do you think she’s all right mentally, Ewen?”Pg. 95

6. Conflict Vanessa and Noreen “Then an inexplicable fury took hold of me, some terrifying need to hurt, burn, destroy. Aboslutely without warning, either to her or to myself, I hit Noreen as hard as I could. When she swung around, appalled, I hit out at her once mrore, my arms and legs flailing. Her hands snatched at my writsts, and she held me, but still I cotinued to struggle, fighting blindly, my eyes tightly cxlosed, as though she were a prson all around me and I was battling to get out.

7. First line Last line First Line: The parade would be almost over by now, and I had not gone. Last Line: As I watched the smile of the girl turn into scorched paper, I grieved for my father as though he had just died now.

8. Symbols Bird

10. ‘My father need not have worried about Noreen getting married. She was, as it turns out, interested not in boys but in God. My mother was relieved about the boys but alarmed about God. “It isn’t natural,” she said, “for a girl of seventeen. Do you think she’s all right mentally, Ewen?” Pg. 95

11. “A bird in the house means a death in the house,” Pg. 98

12. ‘Grandmother Macleod, on the other hand, was never seen crying, not even on the day of my father’s funeral. But that day, when we returned to the house…she stood in the hallway and for the first time she looked unsteady. When I reached out instinctively towards her, she sighed. “That’s right ,” she said. “You might just take my arm while I go upstairs, Vanessa.” Pg. 104

13. “Looking At Noreen now, I suddenly recalled the sparrow. I felt physically sick, remembering the fearful farting and plunging of those wings, and the fact that it was I who had opened the window to let it in.” Pg. 104