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Summary Of Catherine, Called Birdy By Karen Cushman

692 Words3 Pages

In the novel Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman, Catherine does not enjoy her life because she can’t do what she wants or things that make her happy. She wants to be free; she feels like a wild animal locked in a cage. She does not want to be a lady, but instead to be wild and carefree like most of the boys are. Due to her courage and determination to resist all of the negative things that are forced on her, Catherine is able to overcome each obstacle that is placed in her way. Marriage is an idea that Catherine has hated every since she became of age; she refuses to marry Shaggy Beard. As Catherine writes in her journal, she states, "Would I choose to die rather than be forced to marry? I hope to avoid the issue for I do not think it in me to a be saint” (43). It is clear that a marriage to Shaggy Beard is not a desirable choice for Catherine. At first, she tried to find a way to reject Shaggy Beard’s marriage proposal. She does not like Shaggy Beard, and finally she succeeded. She was …show more content…

They do not share the same ideas. For example, she doesn't want to marry Shaggy Beard as her father has commanded. While sharing her displeasure with her friend, Perkin, he responds "If it is necessary to lead a pig forward, he said, Sym ties a string to its hind legs and pulls backward. The pig will then pull forward and so goes ahead. And so it is with me”. Catherine responds, “If my father pulled me backward, I would demand to go ahead"(117). This conversation makes it known that Catherine and her father always seem to have conflicting ideas. Catherine is often against her father because, in general, she does not like him. He refused to help her save the bear from the bear baiting at the fair. So, instead of relying on him, she showed a great amount of courage to save the bear herself. Her courage is evident in most aspects of her

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