Only the Animals

Only the Animals

by

Ceridwen Dovey

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Only the Animals makes teaching easy.
Barnes’s owner in “Psittacophile” is a middle-aged woman. She experiences a midlife crisis not long before the story begins and, because she seemingly wants proof that her friends and family love and will worry for her, she moves to the Middle East. She settles on Damascus, where she teaches English. When she purchases the parrot Barnes, Barnes reveals that his owner is extremely needy and desperately wants someone—or something—who needs her just as badly. Barnes fits the bill, as parrots require a great deal of care. For a time, the owner relishes in owning Barnes. She makes sure his surroundings are clean and that he has just the right amount of food and stimulation; she even stops having guests over because she realizes they stress him out. But as much as the owner loves Barnes, she still desires human connection. This is why she embarks on a relationship with Marty, a fellow expat. She breaks it off when she realizes that people—even Marty—make her feel even more alone. When the Israelis begin to bomb Beirut in 2006, the owner doesn’t seem afraid at all. Rather, she feels as though she’s finally living in the Middle East and throws herself into making Barnes comfortable. However, the owner can’t deal with Barnes’s self-harm and stress. After she receives emails from friends and family begging her to evacuate, she tries to give Barnes back to the person who sold him to her. But when she can’t find him, she leaves Barnes’s cage on the pet shop awning.

Owner Quotes in Only the Animals

The Only the Animals quotes below are all either spoken by Owner or refer to Owner. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Interconnectedness of Humans and Animals Theme Icon
).
Psittacophile: Soul of Parrot Quotes

What a delight to be needed so acutely! Her ex-husband had tolerated her neediness but not cultivated it in himself; her daughter had been determined to establish her independence from the moment she learned to walk. But there I was with my feathers scattering the light to create an illusion of brilliant green, my fat tongue, my perfect toes. I, Barnes, who would—if she cared for me attentively—grow to love and depend on her as my parent, partner, mate.

Related Characters: The Parrot/Barnes (speaker), Owner, Owner’s Ex-Husband, Owner’s Daughter
Page Number: 238
Explanation and Analysis:
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Owner Quotes in Only the Animals

The Only the Animals quotes below are all either spoken by Owner or refer to Owner. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Interconnectedness of Humans and Animals Theme Icon
).
Psittacophile: Soul of Parrot Quotes

What a delight to be needed so acutely! Her ex-husband had tolerated her neediness but not cultivated it in himself; her daughter had been determined to establish her independence from the moment she learned to walk. But there I was with my feathers scattering the light to create an illusion of brilliant green, my fat tongue, my perfect toes. I, Barnes, who would—if she cared for me attentively—grow to love and depend on her as my parent, partner, mate.

Related Characters: The Parrot/Barnes (speaker), Owner, Owner’s Ex-Husband, Owner’s Daughter
Page Number: 238
Explanation and Analysis: