Birdsong

“She was the kind of woman I imagined my lover’s wife was, a woman for whom things were done.”

The narrator says this after taking stock of the physical appearance and mannerisms of the woman watching her in traffic. Her phrasing immediately positions the narrator as a woman whose life is in stagnation due to lack of fulfillment. As part of the story’s frame, this quote builds suspense needed for the narrator to explain why she is telling her story.

“She was thirty-two and tottering under the weight of her desire: to settle down. It was all she talked about. It was all our female co-workers talked about when we had lunch at the cafeteria.”

The narrator provides insight into the theme of Gender as Pageantry through her background on Chikwado. As a woman obsessed with the idea of marriage, Chikwado’s habits focus on fulfilling this societal demand. This passage exposes the pressure to marry that women like Chikwado and the narrator face.

“From the moment I met him, I had had the sensation of possibility, but for him the path was already closed, had indeed never been open; there was no room for things to sweep in and disrupt.”

This quote contributes to the story’s suspense. The narrator reflects on the promise of a deeper connection with him, although, in retrospect, this connection could never be more than her being his mistress. The difference in their perspectives here shows the power of Social Roles as Obstacles to Connection.