Owner Character Analysis

Barnes’s owner in “Psittacophile” is a middle-aged woman. She experiences a midlife crisis not long before the story begins and, because she seemingly wants proof that her friends and family love and will worry for her, she moves to the Middle East. She settles on Damascus, where she teaches English. When she purchases the parrot Barnes, Barnes reveals that his owner is extremely needy and desperately wants someone—or something—who needs her just as badly. Barnes fits the bill, as parrots require a great deal of care. For a time, the owner relishes in owning Barnes. She makes sure his surroundings are clean and that he has just the right amount of food and stimulation; she even stops having guests over because she realizes they stress him out. But as much as the owner loves Barnes, she still desires human connection. This is why she embarks on a relationship with Marty, a fellow expat. She breaks it off when she realizes that people—even Marty—make her feel even more alone. When the Israelis begin to bomb Beirut in 2006, the owner doesn’t seem afraid at all. Rather, she feels as though she’s finally living in the Middle East and throws herself into making Barnes comfortable. However, the owner can’t deal with Barnes’s self-harm and stress. After she receives emails from friends and family begging her to evacuate, she tries to give Barnes back to the person who sold him to her. But when she can’t find him, she leaves Barnes’s cage on the pet shop awning.