The Yellow Birds

by

Kevin Powers

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Yellow Birds makes teaching easy.
Characterized primarily by the fear and relief she feels in relation to her son’s time in Iraq, Bartle’s mother proves confused by her son’s psychological trauma after the war. Although she does not impose her thoughts on him and tries to be as understanding as possible, her efforts at understanding Bartle are stifled by his own reluctance to express himself. Bartle’s mother thus remains a character marked by worry and confusion.

Bartle’s Mother Quotes in The Yellow Birds

The The Yellow Birds quotes below are all either spoken by Bartle’s Mother or refer to Bartle’s Mother. 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:
War, Violence, and Detachment Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

I felt as if I’d somehow been returned to the singular safety of the womb, untouched and untouchable to the world outside her arms around my slouching neck. I was aware of all this, though I am not sure how. Yet when she said, “Oh, John, you’re home,” I did not believe her.

Related Characters: John Bartle (speaker), Bartle’s Mother
Page Number: 109
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Yellow Birds PDF

Bartle’s Mother Quotes in The Yellow Birds

The The Yellow Birds quotes below are all either spoken by Bartle’s Mother or refer to Bartle’s Mother. 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:
War, Violence, and Detachment Theme Icon
).
Chapter 5 Quotes

I felt as if I’d somehow been returned to the singular safety of the womb, untouched and untouchable to the world outside her arms around my slouching neck. I was aware of all this, though I am not sure how. Yet when she said, “Oh, John, you’re home,” I did not believe her.

Related Characters: John Bartle (speaker), Bartle’s Mother
Page Number: 109
Explanation and Analysis: