Catherine, Called Birdy

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1994

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapter 12 - Author’s Note

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 7-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 7 Summary: “March”

As they enter what Birdy considers to be the dreary period of Lent, there is a brief respite from any talk of Shaggy Beard or other suitors. Birdy reflects upon Robert’s quick wedding: “When I marry it will be no cheap rag-tag hurry-up affair as Robert’s was. I will have silks and music and lights and important guests from foreign lands with musical names” (89).

The manor receives a couple of visitors during the month. First, there is a visit from young Agnes of Wallingham, a prim and proper young lady quite the opposite of Birdy. They exchange various proverbs in support of their ideals of feminine behavior. It’s clear where Birdy stands: “Be she old or be she young, a woman’s strength is in her tongue” (92).Agnes counters with, “One tongue is enough for two women” (93).

The other visitor is Odd William, a relative of her mother’s, who arrives in time for the Easter celebrations. He is working on a history of the world written in Welsh. Birdy—and everyone but her mother—dismisses the old man.

There is also a new resident at the manor, Geoffrey, who has been sent to be fostered by Birdy’s father. She thinks him quite attractive, but he is apparently shy and does not speak to her, much less look at her.

A message then arrives from Shaggy Beard, and Birdy is once again plunged into dread at the thought of a betrothal. Even worse, the proposal comes not for his somewhat mannered son, Stephen, but from Shaggy Beard himself. Her father makes it clear that she will not wriggle out of this proposal, though Birdy is determined not to wed this older, odious man.

Her mother is also unsupportive of her wishes, reminding Birdy that her duty is to be obedient to her father. Shaggy Beard is nobly titled and very wealthy, which impresses her mother. Birdy resolves to run away, but when she asks Perkin for advice on what she could become, he discourages each of her designs with his practical take.

Her father assures Birdy that she will be wed, despite her stubbornness. If Shaggy Beard grows weary of her antics, then he will find another prospect: “Will I then be caught in this marriage trap? If I must be wed, I’d rather it be to someone young and comely like Geoffrey” (100).

Birdy muses about the villagers having a choice in whom they wed while she does not. She wonders what to do, whether it be running away, refusing food, or coming up with some other plan to prevent her impending marriage to Shaggy Beard.

Chapter 8 Summary: “April”

Birdy decides to follow Geoffrey around in order to learn what she can about this enigmatic boy on whom she harbors a crush. To her chagrin, “He is not exactly like the Geoffrey of my dreaming” (105). He likes swords and games but doesn’t know how to read and write, nor does he wish to learn. When she catches him making fun of Perkin, she shoves him into the pond, noting now that he looks a lot like her despised brother, Robert. He is later sent away.

Birdy is too busy with the activities of Holy Week to spend much time making plans to escape Shaggy Beard. She notices that one of the servants spends all night cleaning the fireplaces before the holidays; she wonders why she has not noticed his hard work before, while she has the privilege of sleeping.

Her mother is feeling unwell during her pregnancy, and Birdy worries about her health. Easter Sunday is then upon the manor, with many guests staying again. Birdy dreams of having a room all to herself. The end of Lent and the onset of warm weather brings high spirits to almost everyone, though Birdy is still too preoccupied with her impending marriage to Shaggy Beard.

A messenger sent by Shaggy Beard arrives and demands a dowry; the king is roused to a rage over this, but negotiations stretch on as Birdy tries to ignore them.

Uncle George finally arrives, bringing his new wife Ethelfritha with him. This disturbs Birdy, though she cannot help but love this unfettered woman: “She fills our house, laughing louder than George, drinking more than my father, cooking better than our cook, and even ordering Morwenna about” (111). She is a tender-hearted vegetarian who cannot bear to cause animals pain. Birdy thinks, “I would like to be like her when I am old” (111). George, on the other hand, is still acting subdued and somber.

As it turns out, Ethelfritha is not well: She was struck by lightning some years ago which left her somewhat confused. She plays an imaginary instrument at one point and believes she is a sausage at another. George merely frowns and drinks, saying that she’ll be back to reality in time. Birdy still blames her curse, for George’s dismal demeanor. Aelis comes to visit George on his saint’s day, but he refuses to see her while she weeps.

Shaggy Beard’s messengers leave after Birdy puts on another act of foolishness for them, and she wonders if she has been reprieved of the betrothal. Her father will not speak with her about the matter, but she is optimistic. The chapter concludes with Birdy looking forward to May Day and “filled with hope” (114) because she believes the wedding with Shaggy Beard is off.

Chapters 7-8 Analysis

Signs of Birdy’s impending maturity appear throughout these chapters, juxtaposed against her lingering naiveté. Her natural curiosity about the world leads her to question everything—even the sacred and socially sanctioned. For example, she wonders why people didn’t ask Lazarus about the afterlife once he came back from the dead, or whether Noah worried if he’d brought every last creepy-crawly bug onto the ark (93-94). While these are keen observations, they are also marked by a childlike innocence, as in questioning why the sky is blue. In contrast, her maturing mind notices the social stratification that keeps the servants working through the night while she, young lady of the manor, gets to rest soundly.

Birdy is also reminded of the contrast between her behavior and that of the saints she reads about in her little book. She remarks about Saint Cunengund who once slapped her niece so hard that the girl bore the marks until death: “I am fortunate that no one in this household is a saint or I would be marked like a spotted horse, especially my cheeks and my rump” (90). Contrary to feeling remorseful over her behavior, Birdy shows pride in her stubbornness and non-conformity.

Her relationships—or lack thereof—with Geoffrey and Uncle George also highlight her youthful inexperience and dearth of insightfulness. In the first case, she is smitten with Geoffrey’s good looks, ignoring his shortcomings—and their obvious incompatibility—until his behavior is too egregious to overlook. n the second case, she still gullibly believes that her curse is the cause of George’s continuing dourness and is unable to relate fully to the problems and perspectives of others. Her fanciful notions about how to escape her impending marriage to Shaggy Beard—running away, refusing to eat, disguising herself in various ways—also remain childish.

Her adoration of Ethelfritha—“I would like to be like her when I am old” (111)—is complicated by the revelation that the woman has a mental illness. Birdy spends little time contemplating the implications of her illness and instead worries about Uncle George’s happiness.

Throughout these chapters, the characters continue to follow the rhythms of the seasons and the holidays that mark the religious calendar. There is the 40-day period of Lent during which observers fast and practice penitence in remembrance of Jesus’ suffering. Then, there is the celebration of Easter, which symbolizes religious resurrection, eternal life, the coming of spring, and the birth of nature. These events provide a sense of hope during a time period when life was often difficult and usually very short. As Birdy puts it, “I think Lent is all about hope. No matter how bad we feel about Jesus dying or how sick we get of fish, Easter Day always comes. We just need to hope and believe” (97).

Finally, birds again emerge as symbols for Birdy’s thinking and her predicament. When a peddler shows up at the manor, Birdy scrounges around to find some money to purchase cages for some of her birds, hanging them in her chamber with lavender ribbons. She thinks that “[m]y chamber looks more and more like Heaven, let others who sleep there complain as they will” (114). Beautiful birds in cages are Birdy’s idea of “Heaven,” but as with her limited perspective on the motivations and behaviors of others, she isn’t quite able to recognize herself in these gilded cages.