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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What excuse does Nat give when the morning news announcement fails to broadcast?

2. Before the final attack, what does Nat mistake the swarm of gulls as?

3. After the second attack, what does Nat realize is controlling the birds’ behavior?

4. Which adjective best describes the announcer’s voice during his afternoon broadcast?

5. What part of Mrs. Trigg’s body does Nat see and immediately know she is dead?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Nat drive through the second gate to his home after leaving the Trigg farm?

2. How does the radio music change during the attacks, and what does this signify?

3. How has the radio announcer’s voice changed in the 6 o’clock broadcast?

4. What is the droning sound that the Hockens hear during their dinner, and why does it stop?

5. During the final attack, what does Nat wonder about the birds’ mindset?

6. Why does silence fill the Hocken house after the third attack, and what does this mean?

7. What does Nat realize is the force behind the bird attacks, and what does this mean to his survival planning?

8. Why doesn’t Nat feel bad about stealing supplies from the Trigg farm, and how much does he gather?

9. Why does Nat feel a sense of admiration for the birds?

10. How have the farm animals, on both the Hocken and Trigg properties, been affected by the attacks?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although it is not explicitly stated, it can be argued that "The Birds" is a reference to the coming Cold War. Do you believe this is an accurate assessment? Why or why not? If so, provide examples from the text to support your claim. If not, explain why the Cold War analogy is made using references from the story. Refute these references.

Essay Topic 2

The story's setting in an isolated English coastal town is critical to the plot. Do you believe this is so? If so, how does the setting of the story ultimately affect the plot, especially in terms of isolation? If the setting is not critical to the plot, why not? Explain how setting the story elsewhere would not affect the plot.

Essay Topic 3

How does Nat's relationship with his wife and family differ both before and after the attack of the birds? Why is this so?

(see the answer keys)

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