Introduction
The story’s central themes are the routine and monotony of human life, conveyed through the narrator’s behavior and symbols. The plot does not describe extraordinary events or essential incidents. The story’s primary focus is to describe the thoughts, relationships, and perceptions of the main character’s life. Thus, monotony is the backdrop for the story and the narrator’s life. Overall, the story is about the static nature of human nature and the perception of life as a tedious process.
Discussion
A narrator is a person who is not interested in most aspects of life. He leads a quiet life away from the outside world. The only thing the character cares about is a job: “What matters now is that I find a job. Then I can settle into a new life cycle” (p. 6). Considering that these words are spoken after refusing a phone call to an unknown woman, this line demonstrates the essential priorities in the narrator’s life. The character is not intrigued by life changes or new experiences that contradict the routine of life. Instead, the narrator focuses only on the search for a new cycle of life that allows him to live without thinking about anything else.
An important symbol of routine life in this story is the wind-up bird as perceived by the narrator, who does not even know the bird species but has an opinion about it. The character perceives the bird as rather abstract: “Nonetheless, this wind-up bird is there every morning in the trees of the neighborhood to wind things up. Us, our quiet little world, everything” (p. 10). Hence, the bird figures as an image that winds up the rhythm of life every morning. Regularity in this aspect also symbolizes the monotony to which the narrator is devoted. Therefore, the routine of life in history is conveyed not only directly but also through the use of symbols.
Conclusion
The story shows the perception of life by a person who does not seek change and wants to live in cycles where everything repeats daily. Furthermore, the main character resists everything new and regrets only the loss of his job, which allows him to live a stable life. Overall, the story generally demonstrates the static nature of human personality and attitudes, which often do not change under the influence of significant or extraordinary events.