Birds Vs. Zombies

[Stingy Jack]

In preparing for my upcoming lessons on the short story "The Birds" (for my 9th grade English classes), I had to actually read the story for the first time. It was amazing ... MUCH better than the film version. The short story is very much like NOTLD, with a family having to board themselves up in a farmhouse against waves of attacks from birds. So, it's the same thing (almost) only with birds instead of zombies.

Which leads me to ask:

Since the threat of both birds and zombies lies in their numbers ... which of the two groups would win in a fight? Birds or zombies?

I think birds would, even though zombies are scarier. They have beaks and claws, the ability to fly, and can attack in massive groups without getting in each other's way.

[Sam The Egg]

Odd but true story; the short story is actually a metaphor for someone trying to quit smoking...




okay, not really. But if you're looking for it, it's all over the place. Write about that (it being about someone trying to quit smoking), I guarantee you'll get an A.

[movieman64]

Zombies would be able to do more damage to tangible objects, houses, cars etc...

[Stingy Jack]

Originally posted by Sam The Egg
Odd but true story; the short story is actually a metaphor for someone trying to quit smoking...




okay, not really. But if you're looking for it, it's all over the place. Write about that (it being about someone trying to quit smoking), I guarantee you'll get an A.

Wow. I never really thought of that ... and it's an interesting interpretation. Nat has two cigarettes left, and winds up smoking both ... and in the end, he throws the empty pack on the fire. Thanks for the viewpoint! It's something I could use when teaching it (I'm the teacher, by the way. Not the student ... so I don't really need to worry about making an "A" :) ) I really viewed it as a metaphor for the threat of Russia during the Cold War. There are constant references to the attacks being caused by "The east wind", and one character actually says: "It's the Russians. They've poisoned the birds." But hey, great literature is great because of its openness to interpretation.

[massacre man]

you actually made a thread out of our conversation :eek: i hope nine9 reads this

[Sam The Egg]

and there were some other metaphors, too. The only one I can think of is the one part where he sees the "grey cloud" of birds