The Birds Contrast Paper

Birds throughout history have been seen as symbols of grace, peace, hope, trust, and beauty. These symbols although seen in the eyes of many and were once found in all of us, are no longer found through the eyes who have ever experienced either tale of “The Birds”. The celebrated short story “The Birds” by Daphne Du Maurier contrasts greatly with its film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. When analyzing each tale in depth one might conclude many things about what effect both the author and director wished to have on its audience. Some of the smallest changes from story to film caused some of the most dramatic thematic changes and allowed for two very different tales of horror and suspense to evolve.

The setting of each version of “The Birds” is just one of the major ways the author and director portrayed differently in order to have a different effect on its audience and is one of the major thematic differences. The story begins with “On December the third the wind changed overnight and it was winter.”(p.51) This line gives a chilling beginning to the introduction of the setting of the story which takes place on a rural coast of England during a harsh winter of the 1950’s during the Cold War. This rural setting gives the audience a sense of being alone and suspicion due to indiscriminately cold weather overnight. On the other hand, the film begins on a seemingly busy crisp fall afternoon in the urban city of San Francisco, California. Although this setting quickly changes to the small town of Bodega Bay, California, the opening scene of happy city life makes the viewers ignorant to what the film will twist into, which is what Hitchcock is famous for. The later setting of the film (Bodega Bay) allows for the audience to get a slight foreshadowing, with the smaller town and the seemingly cooler weather, this allows the viewer to transition into a more controlled environment which in turn allows the horror of the film to take place. The variation in setting allows for a completely different tone for each work.

The characters in each tale were completely different which outwardly allows the tales to go down two very different paths. The story introduces us to Nat Hocken and his family which consists of his wife and two children, Jill and Johnny. The tight knit family living in a small study cottage gives the reader comfort in when in the earlier beginning was bombarded with a setting which caused suspicion and loneliness. Nat is also shown as the core in the fight for survival, after the first attack in the children’s room “‘Its alright, I’m here,’ shouted Nat, and the children flung themselves screaming upon him.” (p.53) being the father of two he must fend for everyone, this also shows his love of giving everything for his family. The family’s relationship in a chaotic time is the main focus of the story and does not in anyway take away from the horror of the attacks. In the movie we are introduced first to Melanie Daniels and Mitch Brennor. Melanie and Mitch seem to take to each other from the beginning giving us an insight on a soon to sprout relationship. Mitch’s immediate family consists of his mother Lydia and his sister Cathy. Cathy takes and extreme liking and comfort in Melanie which lasts throughout the film. Lydia on the other hand upon meeting Melanie throws dirty looks and views Melanie as untrustworthy, giving many viewers a disliking towards Lydia for judging Melanie. Lydia however eventually changes her thoughts about Melanie and by the end of the film shows motherly care for her. Another character who makes an impact on the film is Annie of who is a likable character; she is a school teacher and gives Melanie advice about Mitch and his mother. The characters relationships throughout the film seem to cast a shadow over the attacks. The characters in the story find love, trust, and comfort in one another which allows Du Maurier to take her tale down a winding path and horrifying her readers by showing them that even the tightest knit family can fall apart. The characters in the film, although find love in each other, seem to find less trust in one another which makes the audience feel they must fend for themselves and always be on their toes.

The characters in each story allow for the contrast in the bird attacks as well. In the short story the first major symbol of an oncoming attack is the bird tapping at Nat’s bedroom window and then pecking at Nat. Next, the birds attack what is the most important thing to Nat, his children. The attacks soon grow larger and larger, seeming to have formed an army of some sort. “The blanket became a weapon of defense” (p.53) The birds seemed to have a strategy, forming certain groups containing different species, of