Why birds?

This was a sad passage but one filled with great imagery. His account of the shadow of the bodies falling was quite intriguing to me. Can you imagine running to the window filled with glee and the thought that you are about to see this magnificent bird only to see bodies. The author describes the bodies as birds as an example "bird-boy's right arm, which was folded like a wing beneath him.". I wonder if maybe the author isn't trying to foreshadow something or give hint to why this happened. Was the family trying to get away from something? Why were they leaving the nest? I think that Jamie is so infatuated with birds because he himself wants to fly away. He wants to be more. He lies to the reporter to feel important. He changes his name. Jamie puts himself down for thinking the shadow was that of a bird. Jamie or James decides that now he will learn about birds by there sound and yet again starts to compare the sounds of people he hears.

I really like what the author did in this section. She took something so horrific and made it into imagery that was easier to stomach. This section to me makes me picture the spirits of these children and mother flying away going to a peaceful place. I compare this story to the Red Convertible both stories had death in them however in someway the deaths were made to seem like a release. I don't mean the deaths seemed good but the way they were described seemed as if there shouldn't be anything to worry about. This family was a a family of birds trying to fly away, but why? Maybe this was the only option. Maybe this was there way to escape. I don't know.
Thomas Moss (post 5)