61 pages 2 hours read

Margaret Laurence

A Bird in the House

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 1974

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“On the lawn a few wild blue violets dared to grow, despite frequent beheadings from the clanking guillotine lawn mower.”


(“The Sound of Singing”, Page 4)

The personification of the violets as persistent and courageous despite being repeatedly cut down by the lawnmower illustrates the cruelty and dominance of the grandfather figure. The contrast between the flowers’ delicate beauty and the lawnmower’s harsh action emphasizes the oppressive environment the protagonist perceives, portraying her grandfather as a symbol of authority and control.

Quotation Mark Icon

“The sight frightened me, for I still needed the conviction that no one except myself ever suffered anything.”


(“The Sound of Singing”, Page 12)

The protagonist’s fear of witnessing her mother’s exhaustion reveals her struggle to reconcile her innocence with the harsh realities of life. Through Vanessa’s perspective, the author employs characterization to depict the tension between her desire to shield herself from suffering and her growing awareness of its existence.

Quotation Mark Icon

 “The air in the bedroom was still sweet and heavy with Attar of Roses.”


(“The Sound of Singing”, Page 35)

The lingering scent of Attar of Roses symbolizes the protagonist’s loss of innocence and the deceptive façade her mother and aunt adopt for self-preservation. Through the contrast between the sweet fragrance and the act of deception, the author employs olfactory imagery to convey the tension between appearance and reality.

Related Titles

By Margaret Laurence

Plot Summary

logo

A Jest of God

Margaret Laurence

A Jest of God

Margaret Laurence

Plot Summary

logo

The Diviners

Margaret Laurence

The Diviners

Margaret Laurence

Plot Summary

logo

The Stone Angel

Margaret Laurence

The Stone Angel

Margaret Laurence