What is Silver Bird Necklace

The silver necklace that Eleanor gives Marie before she deploys symbolizes the intrinsically tragic nature of conflict, in that the necklace is a gesture of mercy although it is a means of suicide. Eleanor instructs Marie to consume the cyanide within it should she be unable to resist interrogation. Later in the novel, Marie considers using the capsule, and in that moment realizes the tragic nature of war inasmuch as it separated her from Tess, which Marie then feels was “simply irresponsible” of her (167).