![]() He later reasons, “There was some law the birds obeyed, and it had to do with the east wind and the tide.” The birds are also united in their goal even black-headed gulls, which Nat knows usually attack other birds and as such are typically “kept apart,” appear to be leading a mixed flock.ĭu Maurier uses figurative language to further establish the birds as part of the natural world. Even before the birds’ attacks begin, Nat imagines that “a message comes to them” with the changing of the seasons, and observes that their aggression is linked to the rise and fall of the tide. ![]() ![]() The arrival of unusual numbers of birds coincides with sudden frigid temperatures, rough seas, and strong winds, creating a sense that the birds are part of a broader natural trend. While the birds are the primary force of the story’s violence, du Maurier is careful to situate the bird attacks in the context of general hostility from nature. Du Maurier uses the story of a single, rural family-the Hockens, who are trying desperately to fend off the bird attacks-to illustrate humanity’s isolation within the natural world and humankind’s vulnerability to nature’s wrath. “The Birds,” a story of great flocks of birds descending into England to attack people, presents human beings in conflict with nature itself. ![]()
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