The Birds

by

Daphne du Maurier

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Birds makes teaching easy.
A farmer who employs Nat, Mr. Trigg is a kind yet proud man. He drives Jill home from the bus stop to escape a flock of birds, but does not take the threat seriously himself. He gently mocks Nat’s fear and offers him a gun, refuses to secure his own home, and insists he will be eating a “gull breakfast” the following morning. He also questions whether the Russians have poisoned the birds, echoing burgeoning Cold War anxieties. Mr. Trigg’s hubris leads to his downfall, however, as his entire household is killed by the birds. Nat finds his body next to a dangling telephone, suggesting he was trying to call for help when he died.

Mr. Trigg Quotes in The Birds

The The Birds quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Trigg or refer to Mr. Trigg. 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:
Man vs. Nature Theme Icon
).
The Birds Quotes

“I don’t want a gun,” said Nat, “but I’d be obliged if you’d run Jill home. She’s scared of the birds.”

He spoke briefly. He did not want to talk in front of Jill.

“OK,” said the farmer, “I’ll take her home. Why don’t you stop behind and join the shooting match? We’ll make the feathers fly.”

Jill climbed in, and turning the car, the driver sped up the lane. Nat followed after. Trigg must be crazy.

What use was a gun against a sky of birds?

Related Characters: Nat Hocken (speaker), Mr. Trigg (speaker), Jill Hocken
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Birds PDF

Mr. Trigg Quotes in The Birds

The The Birds quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Trigg or refer to Mr. Trigg. 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:
Man vs. Nature Theme Icon
).
The Birds Quotes

“I don’t want a gun,” said Nat, “but I’d be obliged if you’d run Jill home. She’s scared of the birds.”

He spoke briefly. He did not want to talk in front of Jill.

“OK,” said the farmer, “I’ll take her home. Why don’t you stop behind and join the shooting match? We’ll make the feathers fly.”

Jill climbed in, and turning the car, the driver sped up the lane. Nat followed after. Trigg must be crazy.

What use was a gun against a sky of birds?

Related Characters: Nat Hocken (speaker), Mr. Trigg (speaker), Jill Hocken
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis: