Theme Of Entrapment In A Bird In The House

In the novel A Bird In The House, Margaret Laurence illustrates the theme of

physical entrapment. All of the characters in the novel feel the need to escape their

personal situations. In fact, the title is a symbol of entrapment because of the bird that is

trapped in the house and it is also trying to get out. From my background knowledge, the

bird usually portrays an image of bad luck that follow afterwards and in this novel, that is

the beginning of all the bad events that occur in the remaining of the novel.

It all started when Margaret Laurence introduces the life of Vanessa MacLeod, the

protagonist of the story, also known as the granddaughter of a calm and intelligent

woman. Laurence shows the pain that Vanessa put

However this is all a contrast to what birds actually

represent in real life. Birds are a part of a class of animals that have the ability to roam

and fly all over the sky. But in this story, it embodies a theme of entrapment which

The bird that was trapped in her window represents the trapped environment that only

lead to aimless movement.

Our bodies do numerous things that we do not understand. We wonder why our

body is in a certain condition, perhaps we express negativity, depression without even

knowing it. In this novel, it is evident that Vanessa does not portray an optimistic

character. She has shown that she is only hopeless, discouraged, confused, miserable and

a passive persona. There are chemical processes in our bodies that take place depending

on which types of emotions we are feeling. When an individual is thinking about comfort

and pleasure, the body changes into a relaxed state. When an individual is angry different

chemical reactions occur in their body creating stress on various parts of the body that

can be noticed by people around them. If these emotions do continue, illness can result.

Regarding Vanessa, she has not gotten any physical illness but mental illness.

In conclusion, her journey from childhood to adulthood is marked by several

influences from her family members. The ones who would give her advices on how