Analysis Of Jealous Husband Returns In Form Of Parrot

“Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot” by Robert Olen Butler It appears a work of fate is involved as a reincarnated husband returns as a parrot, only to find himself purchased by his oblivious wife and returned home to his den. The conflict of the story arises as the jealous parrot/deceased husband gets a birds-eye-view of his wife’s relations with other men without the ability to communicate his inner turmoil. The conflict resolves itself as the husband discovers his contributing part of the breakdown of his marriage because of his inability to orally express his feelings of love and devotion to his wife in human form. This short story introduces two nameless chief characters, the husband who is the protagonist—who’s conscious resides in a …show more content…
Butler served in the Vietnam War from 1969-1971 and readily admits, “‘Going to war, going to Vietnam,… knowing that of course going through that kind of life experience at that point in my maturation as a nascent artist, that it was going to have a profound effect. Without question, my time in Vietnam helped make me what I am today’” (Blackburn). When Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot was published on May 22, 1995, he had recently gone through his third divorce, with Maureen Donlan (Tischler 68). It would not be a stretch to surmise that the recent divorce with Donlan could have motivated the theme of the short story. Soon after his divorce, in the same year, he married writer Elizabeth Dewberry (68). To date, Butler has been married five times. Butler’s numerous marriages give the impression that he is always on the lookout for a love connection. In a New York Times article, recently wed Dewberry commented, “All of our books have dealt with a search for wholeness and connectedness” (1995). This definitely seems to be the case in this short