Good Lord Bird Feather

The Good Lord Bird and its lucky feathers are the most important symbols in the novel, and give the novel its title. The novel begins with the find of a fireproof box containing the written history (i.e. the entire novel) of Henry "Little Onion" Shackleford. The box also contains a feather of the large and presumed extinct Ivory-billed woodpecker. This large black and white woodpecker has several colloquial names which the author of the novel has altered slightly to the Good Lord Bird. The name is derived from what people would say when they see one.

In the novel, Henry is first given a Good Lord Bird feather when John Brown gives him all of his good luck charms. Henry then gives it to Frederick Brown after Brown shows him a Good Lord Bird and tells him that its feathers are lucky...