The Birds

It is common for a work of fiction to belong to more than one genre. Identify another genre of fiction to which “The Birds” belongs, besides Gothic horror. Describe the genre’s defining characteristics and identify specific textual examples of those characteristics.

Alfred Hitchcock’s film adaptation of “The Birds” made many alterations to the story to render it an effective thriller. Watch the film and then compare it to the short story. In what ways are the two different? Look at characters, settings, plot structures, and points of view. Which version do you think is the more effective horror story? Explain your answer with support from the sources.

Du Maurier set “The Birds” in the country rather than the city. What could have been her reasons for making this choice? How does the setting contribute to the plot? Could “The Birds” have worked in a setting like London? Support your answers with evidence from the text.

Write the story from a different character’s point of view. Use clues from the text to guide you. Which literary devices change, and which stay the same?

“The Birds” has been adapted to both stage and screen. What other vehicles of storytelling could successfully adapt the plot? What kinds of changes would you have to make for the story to fit its new format?

The narrator and protagonist allude to Nat’s past in different passages, dropping hints about what he might have done during the war. Select four passages that could explain his activities at that time, and explain what the passages imply about Nat’s past.

What scares one person may not scare someone else because fear is a subjective emotion and its origins vary. Identify a scene in “The Birds” that you think is frightening. Explain the reason(s) the scene frightens you, and identify any literary devices involved.

Du Maurier never explains why the birds want to destroy humans. Some readers find the unknown more terrifying than a description of the birds’ motivation. However, du Maurier alludes to the east wind many times in the story. The east wind is significant to the birds, but how? Conduct research on the east wind in mythology and literature to find one plausible reason why it plays such an important role in the birds’ violence.