What do the birds in the book symbolize? What do you think life would be like if you could "fly"?
Join Date: 10/11/10
Join Date: 10/06/12
Join Date: 10/20/10
The birds in the book symbolize both connection and freedom. They connect her to her grandmother, and introduce her to her husband. They wheel across the sky together, and those made of x-rays connect her to her diagnosis. But they also occupy space, and move through the air in a way that humans can only dream of. It is our job as living beings to find the ways that we can fly and then to do so (which is much harder than it sounds).
Join Date: 02/20/13
I loved what Eileen just posted. And I agree that the birds symbolized freedom, connection and the soaring spirit. We can learn to let our spirit soar and roam. Often times in reading I felt and expanded sense as I floated along with her writing. It was a beautiful, often profound experience.
Join Date: 05/16/11
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Join Date: 12/17/12
From the beginning, I thought the birds symbolized voice. "Voice" was in the title and she wrote a lot about the differences between the birds' songs or voices. I was thinking about her finding her voice in writing, since that was something I taught and evaluated in my students' writing. Voice is easy to recognize, but difficult to explain, especially to young a adolescents. However, as I read about her fear of talking about her attacker, I decided she also meant her physical voice. She was afraid to speak out. The birds became a symbol of courage and growth as she learned to speak up for what she believed.
Join Date: 06/16/11
For me the birds were sort of a connecting thread throughout. I think being able to fly for humans means being able to change our location, our circumstances, our occupation and what we eat and where we go pretty much at will and with a lot more control than birds have over their surroundings.
Join Date: 10/21/12
I agree with the earlier posts that birds ( and their flight) symbolize freedom. As Williams says early on "We knew our greatest freedom was in taking flight at night, when we could steal the heavenly darkness for ourselves, navigating through the intelligence of stars and the constellations of our own making in the delight and uncertainty of our own making." It seemed to me that for Williams there was often a tension between being in society and doing what was expected of her and being free to be alone with her thoughts and doing what brought her delight.
Join Date: 05/31/11
Join Date: 06/28/11
The birds, for me, symbolized having a disconnected relationship experience with someone who was able to fly away into her own space and time. Her mother lived her own life - watching, but distant. Sharing her physical life with her children because they were there, but not her thoughts (the empty journals) or who she really was. Refusing to participate in documenting her daily life, but pretending by buying the journals.
Join Date: 09/06/11
The birds taught quiet and listening. Each had a different voice and taught Terry to listen and to enjoy solitude. I love words and enjoy the solitude of reading and thinking about the books that I read.
Join Date: 04/04/13
I think they might symbolize being observant. Watching and listening and learning. Her grandmother gave her a gift when she taught her about birds. For Terry, birds are a legacy from her grandmother & something she cherishes. They provide solace.
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