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He went and examined all the windows. His work had been thorough. Every gap was closed. He would make extra certain, however. He found wedges, pieces of old tin, strips of wood and metal, and fastened them at the sides to reinforce the boards. His hammering helped to deafen the sound of the birds, the shuffling, the tapping, and more ominous—he did not want his wife or the children to hear it—the splinter of cracked glass.

This quote, which occurs on the evening of the second day, reveals Nat’s efficiency and tenacity. His previous work was thorough, yet he continues to check the boards, the windows, and every gap to be certain the birds will not enter his home or attack his family. The quote also reveals Nat’s foresight and empathy. He knows that the family is in for a harrowing experience, and he wants to protect them mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. His hammering helps drown out the sound of the birds, and worse, the sound of cracking glass, which is sure to cause his wife and children anxiety. Structurally, this quote reinforces Nat’s diligence. That he goes over every nook and cranny of the cottage is restated in various ways in the first five sentences. It shows that Nat is the right man for the job of protecting his family.

His mind was busy again, planning against emergency.

This quote occurs around eight o’clock on the night of the second day, during a lull in the bird attacks. Throughout the story, Nat observes and strategizes. At the beginning, he notes the odd behavior of the birds. After the first attack, he goes on a reconnaissance mission to discover what happened at the farm. Gathering information, processing it, and synthesizing it with his wartime experiences is Nat’s modus operandi. As he learns more about the birds through observation, he revises his plans or creates new schemes to keep the birds at bay. Right down to the end, he is thinking about his next strategy, which is to install barbed wire in front of the boards. Nat uses logic and thinks through the options that will best ensure his and his family’s survival.

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