The Birds is a horror story by Daphne du Maurier, which is mystical, fascinating and exciting. It keeps in suspense, it is difficult to break away from it, it is amazingly atmospheric and it looks like nonsense. In The Birds classic Gothic is superimposed on modern reality, which makes the story even more interesting and dynamic.
Dozens of doomsday scenarios have already been spelled out, instructions for zombie apocalypse are available online, and some people have already built bunkers. However, what if the threat does not come from restless corpses at all, but from birds? It is quite realistic to fight back or run away from a creature walking on the ground, but to escape from a flock of pigeons is much more difficult. Moreover, despite the popularity of ideas, people do not particularly believe in the living dead and aliens, but the birds are closer and always nearby. That’s why Daphne du Maurier’s story looks so realistic and really scary.
Nat Hocken, an ordinary English farmer does not pay much attention to the birds until they begin to attack his house and his family. These birds attack seriously, killing and mutilating people, despite the fact that after each attack, dozens of birds say goodbye to life. Reading this story, the reader very quickly comes to the conclusion that it is an absolutely sound idea to have a fortified bunker in the apartment with supplies and weapons.
Daphne du Maurier creates an incredible atmosphere on the pages of her work. This is a slowly growing tension and a fear that is becoming stronger. If somebody has always been sure that a person on Earth is a master and can do whatever he wants, then he or she should read this story by Daphne du Maurier. Reading it one is convinced that in the end a person is completely helpless in front of nature, and even in front of such a seemingly trifle as a flock of birds. In addition, people should not rely on the government or someone else, only on themselves and their own strengths.
The story touch important theme of nature being able to demand its bills of people, which we will not be able to pay out, if only at the cost of own life. Moreover, people do not need to constantly rely on their own strength and the strength of their weapons, as well as rely on the help and support of the state in difficult times. People can lose completely everything. They should remember that the adversary, who has been accruing hatred not just for years, but also for centuries, is many times wiser and stronger than they are.
The author is very good at gradually escalating the atmosphere, scaring and captivating the reader, constantly keeping in suspense and waiting for a denouement. The horror grows and multiplies in the story with every line, with every page, when a small night incident almost instantly grows to the scope of the tragedy throughout the country.
