Birds

Birds symbolize he various forms of opportunity and social position available for the characters in the novel. Various types of birds appear frequently throughout the novel: Ralph has an injured rook as a pet and he is an avid birdwatcher during the Christmas holiday at Disham, characters often sit outside and observe birds on the street, and during a trip to the zoo Katherine and Ralph watch the birds interact with one another. Katherine is also often compared to a bird, especially by Ralph when he fantasizes about her. The range of birds - from those perched to fly to those injured - represents the various forms of opportunity and social position available for the characters in the novel. Characters like Katherine and Mary are often described as possessing a great deal of potential, and the comparison of these women to perched birds emphasizes the unique...