Daphne Du Maurier's The Birds

“If we don’t end war, war will end us”, - HG Wells. War is a huge part of the story, “The Birds”, by Daphne du Maurier. This story starts with the concept that birds start to attack people because “black winter” came too soon. The birds become greedy and attack people to get food. The birds sit on chimneys, windows, and doors, basically anywhere they can get inside houses and buildings. The “flying demons” get crazier because they can’t get the people who are protecting their homes. The birds actually aren’t going crazy for no reason but nature is taking a toll on them. The frightened people didn’t try to fight back, so the birds are taking over them. Ultimately, war is a very important part of the story because it is war between the birds

“Black winter” means that there is no snow. The birds are killing more and more people each day and they begin to attack buildings. Birds will never die by going crazy, “Some of them will kill themselves that way, but never enough, never enough” (67). Evidently, the people are outnumbered by the birds until “black winter” is over. War, is a state of armed conflict between nations or states. War requires strategies and awareness of your surroundings. In the story, “The Birds”, the plot revolves around the concept of war. The only way to survive is to stay one step ahead and “block the windows, chimneys, and doors” (57), and to gather and store food. The people are not the only ones who need shelter, “frightened he supposed, and bewildered, the bird, seeking shelter, had stabbed at him in the darkness” (63), the birds need to survive as well. The birds are fighting “black winter” and the people are fighting the flying demons. No matter the case, the concept of war is always brought up. The people are expecting to get help from soldiers but they don’t get help from anyone because it is too risky for more people to die. Thus, the birds have complete control over the humans not matter what the people