Katie Reviews The Birds by Daphne du Maurier
As we are privileged to be custodians of our Daphne Du Maurier collection, I’ve decided it’s time to read more of her works and I’ve started with one of her short stories The Birds, which is roughly 40 pages long give or take depending on the edition. The Birds was published in 1952 as part of her collection called The Apple Tree and was later turned into a film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963.
The Birds is set in Cornwall just after the end of the Second World War and follows war veteran and current farm hand Nat and his family as they and their community come under attack from the birds. The attack of the birds starts slowly. In the middle of the night, Nat is woken by scrapping and banging noises and when he goes to the window to investigate he is attacked by the birds. No sooner has the attack started, it stops and a similar noise can be heard in his children’s room where he finds birds attacking his children. However, once the windows are close the attack is over for the rest of the night. The following morning, Nat returns to the farm to find no such events had happened there. When discussing it with others, they appear disbelieving and write it off as a fluke, that the birds must just be hungry and confused. However, feeling like the birds are watching and waiting, Nat boards up his windows and doors in case of further attacks. On the radio, the home office reports the behaviours of the birds and that preparation will be needed. The next night the true violence of the birds is unleashed and the family take cover in the living room, hiding away from the windows and doors to find safety. The noise of planes can be heard and the family take reassurance in the noise as it means the government are taking action to stop the violence and the birds but when a plane crash can be heard nearby the parents know that with the birds are working together. They have taken out the plane’s engines. What can people do against huge groups of birds, spanning species, working together.
Du Maurier builds the suspicion around the birds effortlessly, as the Gulls hover over the sea, watching and waiting for action. All the little birds, sparrows, robins and the like, sit in the hedgerows, watching and judging the people like they are waiting for orders.
The conversations had between Nat and his wife really sum up the impossible scenario they are in as a shotgun can only take one bird out at a time; it can’t take out entire flocks. The government can’t just shoot at birds in towns and cities as they might hit building and their residents. If the birds can work together to bring down planes, machines aren't going to keep them safe and they must keep themselves safe by preventing the birds from getting close to them.
This short story is brilliantly written. The descriptions of the birds and how they are gliding, waiting with purpose, silently judging the people and preparing for attack builds suspense within the storyline. Never before have I felt like a bird could be judging me and looking for vulnerabilities. For such a short story a lot happens and if you've seen the film the short story is definitely worth a read as it’s so very different.
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