The Birds by Daphne du Maurier (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier. It provides a thorough exploration of the short story’s plot, characters and main themes, as well as a useful introduction to postwar literature and the horror genre. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 48-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Daphne du Maurier
• Presentation of “The Birds”
• Summary of “The Birds”
• Character study
  • Nat Hocken
  • Mrs Hocken
  • The birds
  • Mr Trigg
  • Mrs Trigg
  • Jill and Johnny
  • Jim
• Analysis of “The Birds”
  • “The Birds” and masculinity
  • The horror genre
  • Postwar literature
  • Ecological commentary

About “The Birds”

“The Birds” is one of Daphne du Maurier’s best-known short stories, and is considered a classic of the horror genre. It focuses on the Hocken family, whose home is suddenly attacked one night by an increasingly angry horde of birds. Shaken by their ordeal, the father Nat Hocken tries to alert others about the danger of the situation the next day, but is consistently ignored, despite news reports about unusually aggressive flocks of birds pouring in from across the country. “The Birds” is a masterclass in suspense, and was even adapted for the screen by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963.

About Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier was the daughter of an actor and the granddaughter of a writer, and had a privileged but unconventional upbringing as a result. She began writing early in life, although it was not until the publication of her fourth novel, Jamaica Inn, that she began to garner critical acclaim. Du Maurier was fascinated by the work of the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, and often explored related concepts such as doubles and inner conflicts in her own work. She died of heart failure in 1989, and is remembered as one of the most iconic writers of Gothic fiction of the 20^th century.