The Birds

Study Guide by Course Hero

The story is written in the past tense.

What's Inside
ABOUT THE TITLE
Birds refers to the murderous animals that feature prominently
j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1 in the story as the primary antagonists.

d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1

a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 3

d In Context
h Characters .................................................................................................. 4

k Plot Summary ............................................................................................. 6

"When Nature Attacks" Fiction
c Plot Analysis ............................................................................................... 8
While classified as a horror story, "The Birds" should be more
g Quotes ......................................................................................................... 14 specifically understood in the context of a distinct subgenre of
horror: ecological horror, or "eco-horror." Eco-horror is a
l Symbols ...................................................................................................... 16
popular subgenre in the 21st century, with films such as The
m Themes ....................................................................................................... 16 Happening (2008) and A Quiet Place (2018) developing
terrifying scenarios in which humanity is threatened with
b Alfred Hitchcock's Film Adaptation .............................................. 18 extinction by a sudden change in the natural environment. In
The Happening the world's trees release chemicals that cause
mass suicides. A Quiet Place depicts the arrival of a species of
alien apex predators. "The Birds"—whether the short story or
j Book Basics the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) film adaptation—is a
key product of the genre, but the genre has earlier roots.
AUTHOR
Among the earliest examples of eco-horror are those found in
Daphne du Maurier
literature. The entire genre of werewolf fiction, itself
YEAR PUBLISHED descended from older folklore, can be understood as eco-
1952 horror because it deals with themes of natural, bestial forces
overtaking humanity. There are also elements of eco-horror in
GENRE Irish writer Bram Stoker's (1847–1912) seminal vampire novel
Horror Dracula (1897), with the titular character having power to make
animals such as rats, bats, and wolves do his bidding. However,
PERSPECTIVE AND NARRATOR
eco-horror as a distinct genre achieved prominence only with
"The Birds" is told by a third-person narrator, whose
the advent of film. Around the same time that du Maurier wrote
perspective is limited to the viewpoint of the protagonist, Nat
"The Birds," film studios began to produce films in which the
Hocken.
consequences of radioactive fallout (a concept widely feared
TENSE but poorly understood in the popular consciousness) create
The Birds Study Guide
monsters. Them! (1954) is one such film, featuring murderous
ants transformed to gigantic size by exposure to radiation. In
Japan a similar concept led to the creation of the Godzilla
franchise with the film Godzilla (1954), in which atomic bomb
testing creates an enormous nuclear-powered lizard.
Unlike these films that came out roughly around the same time,
"The Birds" doesn't use radiation as an explanation for the
birds' strange behavior. Du Maurier chose to keep the cause
vague, though there are hints that "the Russians" may have
somehow "poisoned" the birds to make them murderous. There
is also a suggestion that the Arctic stream and the extreme
cold are connected with the swarms, although indications of
climate change are not present as they would be understood in
more recent times. In this regard "The Birds" stands apart from
most early eco-horror. Also unlike most eco-horror of the time,
in "The Birds" humanity is not triumphant, and by the end of the
story the outlook for human life—at least in the British
Isles—appears dire.
Literary Predecessors
While "The Birds" is regarded as an influential and inventive
story, it isn't without precursors. One of the earliest examples
of horror fiction featuring animals turning against humans in
vast numbers to murder them is a short novel by Welsh author
Arthur Machen (1863–1947) entitled The Terror (1917). While
birds do feature among the animals murdering people across
Great Britain in the story, all animals on British soil partake in
the violence, from cows to sheep to rats and even to moths.
The story is set during World War I (1914–18), and in the
narrative the animal attacks threaten the British war effort.
Unlike "The Birds," in which the cause of the birds' murderous
fury is never truly identified, in The Terror the animals are said
to have attacked because humanity has "abdicated" its God-
granted "royal prerogative of man," or "supremacy," over
animals. And the attacks cease as soon as the people of
Britain start fighting back.
There are two other novels that serve as predecessors to "The
Birds": American author Melville Davisson Post's (1869–1930)
"Revolt of the Birds" (1927) and Frank Baker's (1908–83) "The
Birds" (1936). In the case of "Revolt of the Birds," the story is
set in the China Sea rather than in England, while in Frank
Baker's "The Birds" the story is set in London and, much like du
Maurier's later work, features birds murdering people. The
stories were similar enough that after the release of the Alfred
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In Context 2
Hitchcock film adaptation of du Maurier's story, Baker believed
his work had been plagiarized. Du Maurier herself would
contend that she had been unaware of Baker's novel when she
wrote "The Birds." Regardless of the extent to which these
earlier works did or did not influence du Maurier, her story,
both on its own merit and thanks to the impact of the
Hitchcock film adaptation, has had a lasting influence on
popular culture.
The Cold War Era
Du Maurier wrote "The Birds" in 1952, during the peak of the
Cold War (1947–91), the period of military, economic, and
diplomatic standoff between the Western powers (led by the
United States and Western Europe) and the Eastern Bloc (led
by the Soviet Union, which in the text is called Russia). After
years of tension between the Soviet Union and the Western
powers, in 1949 the Western nations, led by the United States,
formed NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). While
the Eastern Bloc and NATO never directly engaged in armed
conflict, they did engage in proxy wars (smaller, local conflicts
in which each side supports smaller powers) around the world.
One such proxy war, the Korean War (1950–53) was ongoing
when du Maurier published "The Birds."
The great threat during the Cold War was the possibility of a
nuclear conflict between the superpowers. In 1952, the year
"The Birds" was published, the United Kingdom planned and
conducted its first nuclear weapons test, making it a nuclear
power alongside the United States and the Soviet Union.
During this time the United Kingdom would have been a target
of Soviet nuclear weapons in the event of war, which would
have devastated the nation's civilian population, much as the
birds in du Maurier's story do. It's possible that the author used
the birds as a supernatural surrogate for a Soviet surprise
attack against the British Isles.
In "The Birds" the Soviet Union is mentioned on a few
occasions. First, Mrs. Trigg speculates that the strange arctic
weather pushing the birds inland may originate from Russia.
Later, Mr. Trigg reports to Nat Hocken that people in town are
claiming that the Russians have somehow poisoned the birds,
making them hostile. Nat's wife's hope toward the story's end
that America will do something to save the British Isles reflects
the alliance between the United Kingdom and the United
States and perhaps, also, the fears that the Americans would
abandon the United Kingdom in a time of nuclear crisis.
The Birds Study Guide Author Biography 3

to use the setting of Menabilly, an old estate house in Cornwall

a Author Biography with which du Maurier was obsessed. Du Maurier's last novel,
Rule Britannia, was published in 1972. In addition she published
two autobiographies: Growing Pains: The Shaping of a Writer

Early Life and Family (also published as Myself When Young: The Shaping of a
Writer) in 1977 and The Rebecca Notebook and Other
Memories in 1981.
Daphne du Maurier was born May 13, 1907, in London, England,
into a creative family of actors and writers. Her grandfather
George du Maurier (1834–96) was an illustrator and author,
best known for the novel Trilby (1894). Her father was
Influences
renowned actor-producer Sir Gerald du Maurier (1873–1934),
The influence of the theater is evident in du Maurier's plot-
best known for originating the double role of Captain Hook and
driven fiction. My Cousin Rachel unfolds through dialogue and
Mr. Darling on stage in Peter Pan (1904), a story that had a
letters; action is reserved for eating, drinking, and traveling.
profound influence on Daphne du Maurier. Her older sister,
This structure is similar to what an audience would experience
Angela (1904–2002), was also a novelist and memoirist, and
when watching a play. Detailed description is usually employed
her younger sister, Jeanne (1911–96), became a painter.
for the setting and weather, as du Maurier conveys a sense of
Remaining around the edges of her father's theatrical spotlight
place and atmosphere. She establishes mood with candles and
provided a comfortable existence, but the shy du Maurier
shadows, almost like stage directions and lighting.
loathed the constant socializing of opening nights and parties.
She preferred playing the role of Peter in her own productions
Du Maurier had a lifelong relationship with the story of Peter
of Peter Pan around the house, including performing for its
Pan. As a child, she imagined herself as Peter, fighting epic
author and family friend, Scottish author J.M. Barrie
battles, doing heroic deeds, never growing up, and wishing she
(1860–1937).
were a boy. As an adult, she wrote capably from the male point
of view, as she did with the protagonist Nat Hocken in her
Taught by governesses, du Maurier was considered a bright
famous short story "The Birds," because she was able to draw
child, but higher education was not an expectation. She was
from her own internal gender conflicts.
meant to take her place running a household for a successful
husband. After a short duration at a Paris finishing school—to
Du Maurier was also interested in the work of the English
be taught social skills and upper-class cultural behaviors—in
Brontë sisters—Charlotte (1816–55), Emily (1818–48), and Anne
her teens, du Maurier's formal education was over. At about
(1820–49). Rebecca has been compared to Charlotte Brontë's
the same time, she fell in love with Cornwall, a county in
Jane Eyre (1847), partly for content and setting and partly for
southwest England, where her parents purchased a summer
style. The comparison is no coincidence; the du Maurier sisters
cottage and where she wrote her first novel, The Loving Spirit
identified strongly with the Brontë sisters and enjoyed their
(1931). Cornwall was to remain one of the enduring loves of her
novels and poems. In fact, du Maurier wrote a biography of
life.
their brother, The Infernal World of Branwell Brontë (1960).

In addition, the work of the New Zealand modernist writer

Major Works
Du Maurier went on to publish plays and many books, including
historical fiction, short fiction, an autobiography, and even a
travel guide. Her novels include Jamaica Inn (1936), Rebecca
(1938), Hungry Hill (1943), My Cousin Rachel (1951), The
Scapegoat (1957), and The Glass-Blowers (1963). Du Maurier's
fifth novel, Rebecca, is her most popular and enduring work
and was made into an Academy Award–winning film by English
director Alfred Hitchcock in 1940. It was the first of her books
Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) greatly appealed to du
Maurier. Mansfield was best known for the collection of stories
The Garden Party (1922). However, in contrast to du Maurier,
Mansfield eschewed traditional plotting to create an
impressionistic flow in her short stories. Du Maurier credited
Mansfield as her greatest influence, perhaps having more to do
with language than structure—du Maurier kept her plots tightly
controlled.

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The Birds Study Guide
Marriage, Motherhood, Honor,
and Death
Du Maurier married Major (later Lieutenant-General) Frederick
Browning in 1932 and had three children. She was awarded the
honorary title dame commander in the Order of the British
Empire in 1969, an award of knighthood bestowed on both men
and women for meritorious service in either a military or civilian
capacity. Daphne du Maurier died 20 years later, on April 19,
1989, in Cornwall. Du Maurier's body of work has a timeless
quality, ensuring it will be read by generations to come.
Readers continue to connect with her novels through new
editions, films, television series, and stage plays, just as they
have since 1931.
h Characters
Nat Hocken
Nat Hocken is described as someone of solitary disposition, a
veteran who draws a disability pension and who works on a
farm. He is the main character, and readers view the story
through his perspective. He first notices the birds' strange
behavior while working on the farm but believes it's simply the
consequence of the cold wind blowing from the east. After the
birds attack him and his family, Nat tries to warn his neighbors
and friends about the danger of the birds, but no one listens.
Nat takes the initiative to protect his house and family by
boarding up all the windows and doors. As the crisis unfolds,
Nat acts as decisively as he can to protect his children, such as
escorting his daughter, Jill, from the bus stop, but he feels
overwhelmed and unprepared for the terror of the birds. His
attempts to warn others to take sensible precautions fail, and
his attempts to keep his family's morale up become more
difficult as the birds' attacks become more ferocious. Early in
the story, he believes that some form of help will eventually
come, but he understands that the government will need time
to organize a response and that in the meantime he and his
family must fend for themselves. However, by the end of the
story, his actions (such as wasting the wireless radio's battery
pointlessly) suggest he's given up on hope of rescue and has
resigned himself to being killed by the birds.
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Characters 4
Mrs. Hocken
Mrs. Hocken is Nat's wife and the mother of his two children,
Jill and Johnny. Unlike most other characters, she is relatively
quick to share Nat's concern for the now-murderous birds and
the danger they present. She takes care of her children and
supports Nat as he tries to protect the family from the birds.
While she seems a bit naive in the early parts of the story,
during the trip to the Trigg farm she demonstrates she's not as
sheltered as Nat might believe: she warns him to avoid passing
the body of the postman on the way home to protect their
children's innocence. Throughout the story, she expresses
hope that some form of rescue will come and continually
wonders why the government doesn't deploy military forces to
kill the birds. By the end of the story she is still hoping for
rescue, asking if America will send help. Like the rest of the
family, her fate is left unknown.
Mr. Trigg
Harry Trigg is the owner of the farm where Nat works and thus
is Nat's boss. Although he is Nat's employer, he is very friendly
toward Nat, inviting Nat to join him in shooting at birds for
sport. Like most characters, Trigg dismisses the birds' threat at
the start of the story; even after birds attack people, he
believes he can solve the problem by shooting them. He is a
helpful person, as shown when he gives Jill a lift to the Hocken
home. He is murdered by birds along with his wife and every
other person on the farm. He dies while trying to use the
telephone.
The Birds Study Guide Characters 5

Character Map

Mrs. Hocken
Daughter Caring, hopeful woman

Son

Johnny Jim
Spouses
Boy too young for school Farmworker; cow man

Son

Coworkers

Nat Hocken
Practical army veteran; Employer
farmworker

Daughter Employer

Jill Mr. Trigg

School-age girl Local farmer

Spouses

Mrs. Trigg
Good-natured farm woman

Main Character

Other Major Character

Minor Character

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The Birds Study Guide
Full Character List
Character Description
Nat Hocken is an army veteran,
farmworker, husband, and father. He is
Nat Hocken
a solitary person but cares for his family
and protects them from the birds.
Mrs. Hocken is Nat's wife. She supports
Mrs. Hocken Nat and hopes for the best, even when
the situation becomes hopeless.
Mr. Trigg is Nat's boss and the owner of
Mr. Trigg the farm. He doesn't prepare for the
birds and is killed by them.
Jill is Nat's daughter and the elder of
Jill the two Hocken children. She is old
enough to go to school.
Jim is the cowman on Mr. Trigg's farm
Jim and one of Nat's coworkers. He is killed
by the birds, along with the Triggs.
Johnny is Nat's son and the younger of
Johnny the two Hocken children. He is too
young to understand the situation.
The radio announcer is a BBC news
anchor who reads a news bulletin about
Radio
the birds and explains that the
announcer
government has declared a state of
emergency.
Mrs. Trigg is Mr. Trigg's wife. Like her
Mrs. Trigg husband, she doesn't appreciate the
danger of the birds until it's too late.
The voice on the telephone is a bored
Voice on the
woman who doesn't take Nat's warning
telephone
about the seagulls seriously.
k Plot Summary
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Plot Summary 6
The First Attack
At the story's opening, farmworker and war veteran Nat
Hocken is watching birds at the end of his day's work. On this
day there are many more birds than usual, and he discusses
this with his boss, Mr. Trigg, who describes how, earlier, some
birds knocked his hat off. Mr. Trigg believes that the changing
weather is making the birds restless. Nat agrees that it is
simply the colder weather and goes home to his family. Nat
wakes up early in the morning, disturbed from his sleep by
wind and the sound of birds tapping his window. When he
investigates, the birds attack him, and then Nat and his wife
hear their children, Jill and Johnny, screaming. Nat manages to
fight off the birds attacking the children; when dawn arrives,
the birds retreat.
Nat tries to rationalize the situation, reasoning that the birds
are simply hungry and have been driven inland by cold weather.
After Jill takes the bus to school, Nat goes to the farm to find
out if anyone else had trouble with the birds. At the farm he
talks with Jim—the cowman—and Mrs. Trigg. Mrs. Trigg says
that the cold weather is coming from Russia, but she doesn't
seem concerned about the birds, suggesting Nat "ought to
write up and ask the Guardian" (a major English newspaper)
about the strange behavior. Jim, meanwhile, has no idea that
the birds have been acting strangely and offers useless advice
about feeding birds crumbs. When he gets home, Nat gathers
up all the dead birds around the house and takes them to the
shore to dump them. At the shore he sees a vast horde of
seagulls approaching. Nat worries that no one will take his
concerns seriously.
Preparing
Back home, Nat learns from his wife that the birds are acting
strangely all around the country, and the Home Office (the
government-run civil defense department of the UK) is advising
people to secure their houses and protect their children. Nat
spends his morning fortifying the house by boarding up all the
upstairs windows. At one o'clock a news bulletin describes the
escalating situation across the country. Nat's wife, Mrs.
Hocken, thinks the government should mobilize the army to
shoot the birds, but Nat understands that there are too many
birds to shoot and that the army will prioritize protecting major
cities, not small communities such as theirs. "Each householder
must look to his own," he thinks to himself. Worried about his
The Birds Study Guide
daughter, Nat goes to the bus stop to escort her home, taking
a garden hoe with him for protection.
Nat waits at the bus stop and watches the birds gathering their
forces. Disturbingly, prey and predator birds alike are banding
together. Nat uses a public telephone to report the birds'
movements, but the operator doesn't seem to care. When Jill's
bus arrives, Nat tells Jill to follow him home, even though she
usually plays with her friends in the fields after school. On the
way home Nat and Jill encounter Mr. Trigg in his car. Mr. Trigg
is planning on shooting some birds for sport and asks Nat if
he's interested in joining him. Trigg also claims that the Soviet
Union ("the Russians") has somehow poisoned the birds. On
Nat's request Trigg drives Jill home. When Trigg returns from
dropping Jill off, Nat advises Trigg to barricade his home, but
Trigg dismisses his concerns, calling Nat "windy" and offering
to let Nat and his family stay with the Triggs. Nat declines the
offer. On his way home Nat is attacked again by birds and
barely makes it inside the house before a gannet (a large type
of seagull) slams into the door.
The Next Attacks
After Nat's wife dresses Nat's wounds, the two of them discuss
the ongoing problem, quietly, so as not to alarm the children.
His wife again believes the army should come to the rescue,
but Nat believes they are on their own. The family hunkers
down in the kitchen, the safest room in the house. They listen
to the radio playing music until the six o'clock news comes on.
The radio announcer says that the government has declared a
national emergency; there will be no radio broadcasts until the
next morning.
After the family finishes an early supper, they hear the sound
of airplanes and possibly naval guns firing. However, they hear
the airplanes crashing, and Nat realizes that aircraft are
useless against birds, which will simply fly into them. To
reassure the children, Nat lies and tells them the aircraft have
returned to base. Increasingly frightened, Nat reassures
himself that the government must be devising a plan to deal
with the birds, possibly involving poison gas, even if the use of
gas might kill some people. Around eight o'clock the birds stop
attacking, and Nat realizes that their activities are
synchronized with the changing tides. Nat uses the lull to fix up
the house's defenses. While working he sees the burning
wreck of an aircraft in the distance.
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Plot Summary 7
Nat goes to sleep, but his dreams are troubled by the sense he
forgot something important. When he wakes up he realizes he
forgot to light the fireplace to protect the chimney. Birds are
already trying to gain entry through the chimney, and Nat
frantically lights a fire, burning the birds. Nat fights off the birds
that have managed to get in while the children cheer him on.
Even as he tries to keep his family's morale up, Nat realizes
that they aren't prepared for a long siege, and their supplies of
fuel won't last. Hawks begin to attack the house's defenses,
and Nat fears their beaks and talons will soon tear the door
apart. He searches the house for furniture to break to fortify
the door, and upstairs he discovers that birds have broken into
one of the bedrooms.
Nat and his family huddle in their kitchen until dawn. Nat fears
that his theory about the tides is wrong, because if the birds
can attack at any time there will be no hope of withstanding
them. When seven o'clock comes they wait for the promised
radio broadcast but no broadcast comes. They wait for a while
until Nat realizes there will be no broadcast and switches the
radio off, declaring "We've got to depend upon ourselves."
After surveying the damage to the house, Nat decides to go to
the Trigg farm to collect supplies. His family begs him to take
them with him, and he agrees.
Stockpiling for the Siege
The family walks to the Trigg farm. Expecting to find the Triggs
dead, Nat tells his wife and children to wait outside of the farm
while he searches for supplies, harshly commanding them to
do what he says. Nat soon finds Jim's body in the yard. Mr.
Trigg's body is near the telephone, and Mrs. Trigg's corpse is
upstairs. Realizing how dire the situation is, Nat decides to take
everything he can from the farm, reasoning "The Triggs would
understand." When he returns to his family he lies, saying that
the Triggs have "gone to [stay with] friends." Nat takes the
Triggs' car and loads it with supplies and the family makes
three trips between the farm and cottage. On the last trip Nat
stops at the bus stop to try the phone, but the line is dead.
When he sees that there isn't any smoke coming from the
houses in the town, Nat realizes all the townspeople have been
killed. Now that the birds are inactive, he wonders why the air
force isn't gassing the birds.
As Nat works to reinforce the cottage, he becomes
disillusioned with the hope of rescue, realizing finally that the
government won't save them. He thinks he sees warships on
The Birds Study Guide
the sea, but the shapes are soon revealed as masses of gulls
flying inland. The family eats supper as the birds attack again.
Nat's wife expresses hope that America will come to the
rescue, saying "Surely America will do something?" Nat doesn't
answer her and instead thinks of new ways he can fortify the
cottage. As the bird attack intensifies, Nat decides to smoke
his last cigarette and turns on the radio even though its battery
is low. The story ends on an uncertain but grim note, with the
birds chipping away at the cottage door as Nat smokes calmly.
c Plot Analysis
Form and Inspiration
At over 30 pages "The Birds" is in the longer range of what's
conventionally considered a short story and is sometimes
considered a novella. There are no chapters or section titles,
though there are a few section breaks within the story that
represent scene transitions. The story is written in limited third
person, never deviating from Nat Hocken's point of view and
often accessing his thoughts. Sometimes du Maurier presents
Nat's thoughts in quotations, while other times these thoughts
are rendered indirectly as part of the narration. By keeping to
Nat's point of view and not allowing access to information
outside of his experience, the reader is left in the same state of
confusion as the characters regarding the reason the birds are
attacking. Because Nat is a war veteran, he thinks more
strategically and realistically than others around him, such as
his wife or the farmer Trigg. By narrating the story through his
perspective, du Maurier also allows the reader the greatest
amount of insight into what the birds are doing and how and
why they are doing it, as well as what can—and cannot—be
done to stop them.
According to du Maurier, the story was inspired by an incident
she once witnessed in which a Cornish farmer, Tommy Dunn,
was pestered by seagulls diving at him as he plowed a field.
While the incident itself was rather tame, the author imagined a
scenario in which such attacks not only become commonplace
but outright deadly to humans. While the setting of the story is
never explicitly described other than being coastal England,
given du Maurier's ties to Cornwall, it is likely the story is set
somewhere on the coast of Cornwall in southwest England.
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Plot Analysis 8
Hope Gradually Diminishes
In the beginning of "The Birds," when Nat and the other
characters first notice the strange activity of the birds, they are
quick to assume that the birds are simply upset from the
change in weather or are frightened. Even after the birds begin
to attack people, Nat and others find ways to rationalize the
change, and some people, such as Mr. Trigg, outright dismiss
the danger, unable to perceive birds as a serious threat. Once
the birds have proven themselves to be a deadly threat, Nat
and other characters switch from dismissing the threat to
believing that they'll be rescued by the authorities. As
conditions worsen, Nat begins to realize that help won't be
forthcoming, but other characters, particularly his wife,
continue to hold out hope. An important moment for Nat
comes when the aircraft presumably sent to scout out the
birds all crash, brought down by the birds.
The diminishing hope is best encapsulated in the family waiting
in the morning for the seven o'clock radio news bulletin, which
ultimately never comes. Nat switches off the radio after waiting
for an hour, realizing there will be no bulletin and that if he and
his family are to survive, they can depend only on their own
wits and resources.
Nat's hope is directly represented by his preparations and
measures to secure his home against a long siege. Earlier,
when Nat had hope of rescue, he was careful with supplies and
mindful of things such as the wireless radio's battery life.
However, by the end of the story, when Nat's wife is frightfully
hoping that help will come from America, Nat demonstrates
he's given up hope of rescue by switching on the wireless radio
(even though no broadcast is coming) and smoking his last
cigarette. Nat giving up on conserving supplies shows that he
has accepted the inevitability of his and his family's demise, a
remarkable shift in characterization underlining the
unstoppable horror of the birds.
Throughout the story, du Maurier contrasts Nat's realistic
attitudes with his wife's hopefulness. It is possible that Nat's
military past has prepared him better to adapt to the sudden
and horrific change of situation and that du Maurier is using
Mrs. Hocken (and the Triggs, who also don't appreciate how
grim the situation is until it's too late) to show how civilians are
too easygoing and idealistic to survive disaster.
The Birds Study Guide
The Birds' Behavioral Patterns
While the short story never fully explains the real cause of the
change in the birds, certain patterns of behavior emerge as the
narrative unfolds that roughly define the parameters of the
birds' behavior. Early on it becomes apparent that the birds
have lost all sense of self-preservation, as they attack humans
without regard for their own safety and even kill themselves by
striking walls, windows, and doors while attempting to break
into human dwellings. However, as Nat observes, certain rules
of behavior come to light: the birds coordinate their attacks
with the state of the tides, and they only attack humans.
Nat figures out by observing the birds' patterns of behavior
that they attack during the flood tide and retreat and rest
during the low tide. This contradicts his earlier belief that the
birds are simply being driven inland by the cold arctic wind, as
during low tide they don't attack even when the wind is
blowing. Another quirk of the birds' behavior is that the birds
don't attack other birds or nonhuman animals. Nat early on
remarks on the bizarre lack of infighting between different
species of birds that are natural enemies. That they don't
attack other nonhuman animals is evidenced when Nat and his
family go to the Trigg farm and find the Triggs and Jim all
pecked to death, but the dairy cows are untouched.
The reason for these irregularities is never explained but
suggests something stranger and more sinister than the
explanations of arctic winds and lack of food. Earlier in the
story, characters suggest natural causes for the birds'
behaviors, but these natural causes are only red herrings
(ideas that lead nowhere) and rationalizations, indicating that
the characters are unwilling to confront the horrible truth that
the birds suddenly want them dead. From a narrative
standpoint, the birds resting between attacks increases the
horror and suspense in the story and allows du Maurier to have
outdoor scenes. Du Maurier likely intentionally included these
pauses in the action to allow the tension to ramp up before the
attacks begin again. An example of this is when Nat goes to
escort Jill home during a lull and is attacked while on his way
home. As for why du Maurier had the birds leave other animals
alone, it's likely that the intent is to intensify the horror,
showing that humans—and only humans—are targeted, singled
out by whatever malevolent force is directing the birds. This,
together with the unexplained cause of the crisis, deepens the
sense of dread in a world in which nature has gone completely
awry.
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Plot Analysis 9
Patriarchal Family Dynamics
Throughout the story, while Nat does his best to stay alive and
protect his family from bodily harm, he also does all he can to
insulate them from seeing and understanding the true horror of
the birds' attacks. As a traditional family patriarch, he sees his
family as completely dependent on his protection. After the
first assault by the birds, Nat reassures his children by telling
them that the birds invading their room were just frightened
and confused. Later, when he is escorting Jill from the bus
stop and Jill notices the seagulls flying overhead, he assures
her they're going to keep moving inland. It's worth noting that
while Nat might believe his family is dependent on him, their
actions (or rather lack of actions) show that they believe it too.
Without knowing du Maurier's own thoughts on the matter, two
interpretations are possible: first, that du Maurier is critiquing
the traditional patriarchal family by showing how it leads to
dependence and helplessness on the part of the wife and
children, or second, that du Maurier is showing how a strong
patriarch such as Nat is necessary to keep his family safe.
During the many attacks on the house, Nat consistently treats
his wife and children as if they're incapable of holding up
against the pressure of the new reality. When aircraft arrive to
deal with the birds and then crash, Nat tells his children that
the planes have returned to their base. Later, when the family
goes to the Triggs' farm to gather supplies, Nat tells his family
to wait outside so that they don't see the farmers' dead bodies.
Interestingly, Nat's wife shows she understands more than Nat
believes she does when she advises him to drive faster so that
the children don't see the postman's body. This moment in
particular might be a hint that du Maurier is subtly undermining
her protagonist's worldview.
Civilization Collapses
In the later stages of "The Birds" Nat begins to realize that the
British government won't be providing any assistance. The
telephones no longer work, the radio is no longer receiving
broadcasts from anywhere in Europe, and the military
response that Nat's wife repeatedly hopes for never
materializes except for a brief, ill-fated sortie (limited mission)
by aircraft earlier in the story. "The Birds," which is heavily plot-
driven, can be read, through its events, as a commentary of
government ineffectiveness and the results of such
ineffectiveness. Du Maurier may even be suggesting that she
The Birds Study Guide Plot Analysis 10

doesn't trust the British government (or perhaps any

government) to act decisively or intelligently in event of an
unprecedented crisis.

Nat holds out hope for a while that the government will devise
some solution to the problem, perhaps with poison gas.
However, Nat remains continuously perplexed by the
"solutions" the government tries and becomes increasingly
disillusioned by their lack of coordinated effort to save outlying
communities and their lack of seemingly common-sense
solutions. The story is fixed on Nat's perspective so that the
reader can only know what Nat knows; as such, it's never
shown what has happened to the rest of Great Britain, but
owing to the silence of the radio stations across the country,
it's very likely things have utterly collapsed, with much of the
population either dead or forced into hiding. Ominously, Nat
remembers that even when London was frequently under
attack during the Blitz, a concentrated German bombing
campaign against British civilian populations early in World War
II (1939–45), the radios never stopped broadcasting.

The state of the rest of Nat's community may be a clue as to

what's happened to the rest of the country and perhaps the
rest of Europe, as by the end of the story none of the houses in
town have smoke coming from their chimneys, indicating the
birds have killed all the other townspeople. In showing the
village wiped out and suggesting that the rest of the country
(and possibly Europe) is in peril, du Maurier changes what
would have been an intimate story of a family struggling
against supernatural terror into an apocalyptic tale in which the
family's struggles are only a microcosm of a global disaster.

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The Birds Study Guide Plot Analysis 11

Plot Diagram

Climax

7
10 Falling Action
Rising Action
6
11
5

4 12

3 Resolution

2
1

Introduction

Introduction Climax

1. Birds attack Nat Hocken and his family in their cottage. 9. A promised news bulletin doesn't come.

Rising Action Falling Action

2. Nat escorts his daughter to the bus stop. 10. Nat and his family go to the Trigg farm to gather supplies.

3. Nat asks Mr. Trigg about the birds. 11. The family returns home.

4. Nat boards up the house.

5. Birds attack Nat on his way home from the Trigg farm.
Resolution
6. A radio bulletin announces a state of emergency.
12. The family finishes dinner as the birds tear down the door.
7. Birds attack through the chimney, but Nat fights them off.

8. Hawks attack the cottage's door.

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The Birds Study Guide Plot Analysis 12

Timeline of Events

December 3

The weather changes, and Nat Hocken observes strange

numbers of birds flocking inland.

Two o'clock next morning

Nat's house is attacked by birds, and he protects his

family from them.

After dawn

The family has breakfast.

After breakfast

Nat, concerned by the birds, escorts Jill to the bus stop.

Later

Nat goes to the farm to ask if anyone else has had

trouble with birds.

Midday

After reading a news bulletin about the birds, Nat boards

up the house's windows.

Afternoon

On his way to walk Jill home from the bus stop, Nat
reports the birds' behavior to the authorities.

Later

After talking with Mr. Trigg, Nat is attacked by birds on

his way home—but makes it inside safely.

Six o'clock

A radio news bulletin announces a national emergency

and promises another broadcast the next day.

After supper

Aircraft crash nearby because of the birds.

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The Birds Study Guide Plot Analysis 13

Eight o'clock

Nat theorizes that the birds rest during low tide; he

reinforces the house further.

Early next morning

The birds attack again through the chimney, but Nat

fends them off with fire.

Later

Falcons and hawks attack the door, threatening to tear it

open.

Seven o'clock

The awaited news bulletin doesn't come.

Later in the morning

The Hocken family goes to the Trigg farm to gather

supplies.

A little while later

Nat finds Jim and the Triggs all dead.

A quarter to one

The family returns home with supplies; Nat fortifies the

house some more.

Two o'clock

The family eats dinner while the birds resume their

attack. Nat smokes his last cigarette.

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The Birds Study Guide Quotes 14

— Narrator
g Quotes
Nat's wife believes that the government will do something to
protect them, but Nat understands that the government will
"Although he was married, with
prioritize larger cities. People in rural areas such as theirs must
children, his was a solitary fend for themselves.

disposition."
"We'd be better off in the old days
— Narrator
... when the women baked twice a
Nat Hocken's solitary disposition helps explain how he is so week."
self-sufficient. When the trouble begins, Nat is able to protect
himself and his family and doesn't simply wait for rescue as
— Nat Hocken
others will do.

Nat believes that in older times, when people secured their

own subsistence rather than buying it from others, they would
"It's the weather ... It must be that."
be better prepared to survive the crisis.

— Nat Hocken

"They know what they have to do."

After fighting off the birds attacking his children, Nat tries to
rationalize the birds' behavior as a reaction to natural
— Nat Hocken
conditions rather than something stranger or more sinister.

Nat is observing birds passing overhead toward the inland

towns. He realizes that those birds have their own
"You ought to write up and ask the
assignments, while the gulls will attack the coastal settlements.
Guardian." If Nat's suspicions are correct, it means that the birds are
being directed by some malevolent intelligence. Additionally, as
— Mrs. Trigg a veteran, he understands what it means to do battle with an
enemy. If the birds have a strategy, so must he.

Mrs. Trigg dismisses Nat's story about the birds attacking his
family and casually suggests he write a letter to a newspaper
asking for an explanation. She doesn't understand what's
"They're saying in town the
about to happen, and the lack of preparation by her and her Russians have done it. The
husband will lead to their deaths. Many in the community,
including at times Nat himself, believe strongly that the
Russians have poisoned the birds."
structure of civilization itself will save them from any danger.
— Mr. Trigg

"Each householder must look after Mr. Trigg is repeating claims from townspeople that somehow
the Russians (Soviet Union) are behind the birds attacking.
his own."
This theory is never confirmed or refuted, but it is suggested
that the cold wind that heralded the birds originated in the

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The Birds Study Guide
Russian Arctic.
"Owing to the unforeseen and
unparalleled nature of the present
crisis."
— Radio announcer
The radio announcer, communicating the government's
directions to the populace, explains that while the government
will attempt to devise a solution for the crisis, they are
currently overwhelmed and unprepared. The statement is yet
another indication that when disaster strikes, civilization and its
trappings are completely unprepared to help individuals, who
are left to fend for themselves.
"He did not want to tell her that
the sound they had heard was the
crashing of aircraft."
— Narrator
Nat doesn't want to alarm his family by explaining to them that
the aircraft sent to scout or attack the birds have crashed,
demonstrating the impotence of human technology against the
bird menace. A bit later, when Johnny asks where the planes
have gone, Nat lies and says they've returned to base.
"That was the line. Keep her busy,
and the children too."
— Narrator
Throughout the story, while protecting his family from physical
harm, Nat also does what he can to keep everyone's morale up.
Keeping his family occupied is a key component of that effort.
At times it seems he must fight off not only the birds but also
his family members, as their fear could reduce them to panic
and cause them to make mistakes.
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Quotes 15
"I'll have one ... t'other to keep for a
rainy day."
— Nat Hocken
Having just been told by his wife that he has only two
cigarettes left, Nat decides to have one, confidently
proclaiming that he'll save the other for more difficult times,
implying that their current situation isn't so bad. Nat is once
more putting on a brave face and downplaying the severity of
the family's situation.
"The wireless ... I've been watching
the clock. It's nearly seven."
— Mrs. Hocken
For Mrs. Hocken the promised radio broadcast at seven
o'clock has come to represent her hopes of rescue. The closer
it gets to seven, the more anxious she becomes. When seven
o'clock arrives without any broadcast, those hopes are dashed.
"It's always the same ... they
always let us down. Muddle,
muddle, from the start."
— Nat Hocken
After having hoped for government intervention and having
theorized what form it would take (such as poison gas), Nat
has at last given up all hope of aid from the authorities. Nat
believes the authorities have forgotten them because they live
in a small, unimportant community. His refrain could well be a
reminiscence from his war days when confusion reigned
among the troops.
"Won't America do something?"
— Mrs. Hocken
The Birds Study Guide
Mrs. Hocken asks this question of Nat when the birds start
attacking again. She hopes against reason that somehow
assistance from America can rescue them, not considering the
possibility that America may also be under attack. Nat never
answers her, and the question is more a desperate plea than a
serious hope.
"He threw the empty packet on the
fire, and watched it burn."
— Narrator
When Nat smokes his last cigarette, throwing the empty pack
onto the fireplace represents him throwing away his hope for
the future. He was supposed to save the cigarette for a "rainy
day"; by smoking it now, he shows he believes he's at his end.
l Symbols
The Wireless Radio
Nat's wireless radio is a symbol of the Hocken family's
connection to the outside world and civilization. Early in the
story the wireless radio airs news bulletins explaining that the
catastrophe is affecting all of Britain and providing advice for
how people such as the Hockens should safeguard themselves
from the bird attacks. The radio also airs musical programs,
which help relax the family. At this point in the story the
wireless reassures Nat and his family that the situation is not
totally out of control.
Later in the story, Nat worries about the radio running out of
power, but when the radio stops broadcasting news and goes
silent, including foreign stations, Nat simply switches it off,
realizing that there will be no more broadcasts. By the end of
the story the wireless radio represents the collapse of
civilization in Britain and perhaps the rest of the world.
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Symbols 16
Nat's Last Cigarette
At the end of "The Birds" Nat has only one cigarette left in his
packet. This last cigarette represents human comforts and the
luxuries of modern life—comforts that can't exist when human
existence is reduced to a struggle for survival. Earlier, when
Nat smokes his penultimate cigarette to cover up the stench of
burnt birds, he reasons that he will save his last cigarette for
another day. However, at the story's conclusion Nat decides to
smoke the last cigarette as the birds begin tearing down the
door, indicating Nat has resigned himself to death.
m Themes
Humans versus Nature
"The Birds" is a classic example of a people-versus-nature
conflict in fiction. However, unlike most such stories—in which
the conflict typically ends in humans triumphing over flora,
fauna, and the elements—in "The Birds," nature (in the form of
birds) topples humanity and wipes out civilization across
Britain. It is humanity's superiority in most people-versus-
nature conflicts both in fiction and reality that makes the
ending of "The Birds" chilling and disturbing. The subversion of
humanity's dominance over nature is central to the horror of
"The Birds."
This ordinary human dominance over animals is taken for
granted throughout the story, but the characters are steadily
shown that the birds won't be easily conquered. Early in "The
Birds" the Triggs suggest that the birds will go back to normal
behavior when the weather changes. When the birds begin
attacking people, Nat and his wife both hope the British
government will get rid of them, either with soldiers or poison
gas. However, all these expectations and hopes are ultimately
dashed, and by the end of the story humanity (or at least the
people of the British Isles) seem to have lost the struggle with
nature (the birds), with no radio broadcasts coming from
anywhere in the country and everyone in town except the
Hockens killed.
The Birds Study Guide
It is also worth noting that the birds are not the only natural
force that the human characters must contend with in "The
Birds." The unusually frigid winds blowing from the east, which
are initially blamed for the birds' odd behavior, are also cause
for concern, as they herald the approaching winter. The
weather is so abnormally cold that Nat can't remember a
winter with such cold winds. The winds act as harbinger of and
medium for the birds' violence. The way in which the birds
attack during high tide and rest during low tide also supports
the theme of man versus nature. These pauses are the only
way Nat and his family even survive through the first night, as
they allow him to shore up his house's defenses during the
lulls. Other animals aren't targeted by the birds' attacks; the
animals on Mr. Trigg's farm are left unharmed while the Triggs
are pecked to death. This emphasizes how humans have been
singled out by the birds' aggression and suggests that perhaps
the birds will become docile again when there are no more
humans to kill.
Because of the relentlessness and discernment of the birds'
attacks, Nat comes to believe that they are being directed
somehow, although who or what force is directing them is
never confirmed. Some characters blame Russia for the birds,
but no evidence is ever given to reinforce these rumors, and a
supernatural origin for the birds' malevolent change seems just
as likely. Another question the story leaves ambiguous is
whether the birds are attacking other countries, though at the
story's end Nat's wife claims the radio can't pick up broadcasts
from foreign countries either, suggesting the rest of Western
Europe is also under attack. All of this uncertainty is just as
much a part of the story's horror as the subversion of human-
animal power structures: the characters never understand why
they have suddenly become prey nor whether the entire
world—or only their country—is doomed.
Old Ways Are More Reliable
than Modern Conveniences
Throughout the story, modern technology and conveniences
are demonstrated to be at best unreliable and at worst useless
in dealing with the bird threat. When Nat is going over the
house's food supplies with his wife, he remarks, "We'd be
better off in the old days ... when ... there was food for a family
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Themes 17
to last a siege, if need be." While being able to purchase food
might be more convenient than making the food themselves,
the family would have been better off if it had all the means for
food production within the house.
Another way in which old ways are demonstrated to be
superior to newer things is in the comparison between the
Hocken family's cottage and the newer council houses in the
town. The cottage's older construction methods—smaller
windows and sturdier stone walls—make it easier than the
more modern houses (whose occupants all die from the birds)
in the village to fortify against the birds' assaults.
Modern technology in the form of aircraft, radios, guns, and
telephones all fail to provide any real aid or relief against the
bird menace. Nat's attempt to warn the relevant authorities
through the telephone accomplishes nothing, aircraft sent to
scout out or attack the birds all crash when swarmed by birds,
and the radio news broadcasts offer little new information
before they are silenced. When Mr. Trigg tells Nat of his
intention to shoot the birds, Nat wonders "What use was a gun
against a sky of birds?" On the other hand, older technology
and methods such as boarding up windows and making fires in
the chimney do much more to keep Nat and his family safe.
Threat of Annihilation
The story's conclusion, which sees the rest of the community
slaughtered along with (presumably) most of the British
population, is similar to the potential effects of a nuclear war.
Much as the British population was woefully unprepared to
survive the sudden murderous change in the birds, they would
have been similarly unprepared to survive a nuclear war.
During the 1950s, when du Maurier wrote her story, the United
Kingdom, one of three nuclear powers at the time, faced the
prospect of nuclear war with the Soviet Union (Russia). Russia
is referenced twice in the short story, each time as a possible
cause of the birds' movements and strange behavior, with Mr.
Trigg alleging that the Russians somehow set the birds against
Britain. Within only a few days in the story, human life on the
British Isles is wiped out, representing the devastation nuclear
war would have wrought.
At the time of the story's publication the best protection
The Birds Study Guide Alfred Hitchcock's Film Adaptation 18

available to most civilians in the event of nuclear attack was a
tactic called "duck and cover," wherein people were instructed
to simply find cover. Duck and cover would have offered
virtually no protection from atomic bombs or their radiation.
Much like in "The Birds," the government's instructions to the
people of Great Britain fail to adequately prepare them for the
birds' ferocity. In the story the birds' attacks destabilize British
civilization and disrupt communications, just like a hypothetical
nuclear conflict would have done.
romance before the birds begin to attack. Again, this change
modifies the story's theme substantially, fracturing the family
unit before the ecological threat enters the scene. Finally, the
characters in the film are able to use their car to get away, and
although the birds remain and the characters sustain physical
and psychological damage, the ending is far more hopeful,
suggesting that the threat is localized and their bonding has
allowed them to escape.

Throughout the story, Nat and his family struggle to survive

while also attempting to conserve limited supplies of food,
building materials, and fuel. Nuclear war threatened similar
rationing for anyone intent on survival. A major obstacle to
gathering needed supplies is that it requires Nat to go out into
the open, exposing himself to the birds. In this sense the birds
mirror the threat of nuclear fallout, deadly lingering radiation
that contaminates an area after an atomic blast. The Hocken
family's house, serving as a safe, fortified bastion against the
birds, resembles the fallout shelters that many households built
to protect themselves from nuclear attack during the Cold
War.

b Alfred Hitchcock's Film

Adaptation
The enduring popularity of "The Birds" is thanks in no small
part to the success of the 1963 film adaptation by English-born
director Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980). However, there are
important differences between the original story and the film
adaptation. While the film's central premise of birds suddenly
turning murderous is the same as the original story's, the film
changes the setting from an unnamed coastal English
community to a California town called Bodega Bay. The story is
thus stripped of its agricultural and community foundations,
instead portraying a forlorn industrial landscape.

The main characters are also changed in the film version.

Rather than centering on a married man and his family, the film
instead features an unmarried woman portrayed by American
actress Tippi Hedren (b. 1930) and her romantic interest,
portrayed by Rod Taylor (1930–2015). The pacing of the film is
markedly different from the source material: the film spends
much of its run time establishing the main characters and their

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