Comparing Birds And Hitchcock's The Birds

In many cultures, birds are used as symbols of peace, wisdom, hope, and eternal life. However, the 1952 short story The Birds by Daphne de Maurier and the movie produced by Alfred Hitchcock eleven years later portray these creatures in a much different way. They both depict a society suddenly being attacked by murderous birds. By looking deeper into each conflict, resolution, and interpretation on women’s roles, both similarities and differences can be observed. The conflicts of the novella and movie, although similar, also have multiple differences. The main conflicts are man versus nature. In each situation, the birds attack the characters and pose a threat to society. When the birds come in through the windows and attack Nat, the story states that he and his family board up the house and stay inside. Likewise, movie character Mitch secures his family’s home from the birds after discovering Annie has been killed at their wrath. In both the story and movie, the intensity of the attacks progress throughout the timeline. For example, the movie begins with a gull simply hitting Melanie, yet multiple people are killed by the ending. Also, the birds in both versions get wiser and even start orchestrating attacks. Many believe de Maurier and Hitchcock do this to generate suspense. They also use foreshadowing to have the same effect. Nat is a very observant …show more content…
This is especially observed in their conflicts, resolutions, and views on the roles of women. The movie invokes further thought and analysis into the plot, causing the audience to be more interested. Fiction stories must be able to hook the readers and make them feel like they’re part of the story. Many readers didn’t feel connected to de Maurier’s novella. While everyone has their own preference, most seem to agree that Hitchcock’s modifications produce more depth and effectiveness to the