The Birds Nat Hocken Character Analysis

791 Words2 Pages

In the thriller short story “The Birds”, by du Maurier, there are many characters and events that occur to separate this story from almost any other story. By examining his characterization, morality, and functions, it becomes clear that du Maurier is characterizing Nat as a hero that takes danger and unexpectedness in a straightforward manner to reveal the certain skill and mindset needed in order to survive in the position that Nat is in.

Nat Hocken is one of the essential characters in the short story. He is presented to the reader as a solitary man, sitting down and watching the birds fly around and over the sea. He is also presented as having been in the war, the story stating that he was working on the farm part time, “... because of …show more content…

He is very resistant to fear, as he dealt with the birds very calmly and even when he was being attacked or was about to be attacked, he stuck to his mindset and carried out whatever he had planned to do. Using that information and details from many other instances, the reader can infer that Nat will put his family and their protection in front of everything when they are in trouble or need him at all. After the first attack, instead of thinking of it as bad luck, “...He got up and started to work on the kitchen windows…” (10) Nat is also described and inferred to enjoy nature (at least until he was by the birds) and “sitting on the cliff’s edge, he’d watch the birds.” (1) Using all of du Maurier’s indirect characterization, the reader can learn much about Nat’s personality and how he would think and react to certain …show more content…

After the birds attack Nat and his family the first time, Nat tries to warn all of his neighbors that they could potentially be in danger. Nat, realizing he and his family could be in danger, as well, boards up the windows, blocks the doors and does anything that would help keep his family safe. Nat’s character is shown most effectively when he is invited by Mr. Trigg to go shooting with several of his neighbors and instead of going decides to “...get along home…” (15) This shows the conflict in Nat and how his choices affect the story. With the choice of going with his neighbors and having some “fun” after a stressful day and terrifying previous night, he once again chooses to stay with his family and keep them safe. This moral constitution of Nat makes him a very powerful and resistant character to the reader and the characters in the book

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