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Officer Mishin
Barnes is a parrot and the narrator of “Psittacophile.” Barnes doesn’t share much about himself, aside from insight into the kind of constant care parrots require. He notes that if people care for parrots properly, parrots attach to their people and see them as parents, partners, and mates. At first, when the owner purchases Barnes, she shows him the exact level and type of care he desires. He adores his owner and often grooms her to show her affection. It takes a while for Barnes to grow out of his toddler phase, in which he destroys and throws things—but eventually, he and his owner become best friends. Barnes has little to say about his owner’s foray into romance with Marty, a fellow expat—but through his silence, Barnes implies that he isn’t pleased with the situation. When the Israelis begin to bomb Beirut in 2006, Barnes experiences a breakdown: he begins to scream constantly, pull out his feathers, and hurt his owner. When his owner eventually leaves him in his cage hanging on the pet shop awning, he asks readers if she really had a choice.
The Parrot/Barnes Quotes in Only the Animals
The Only the Animals quotes below are all either spoken by The Parrot/Barnes or refer to The Parrot/Barnes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Psittacophile: Soul of Parrot
Quotes
What a delight to be needed so acutely! Her ex-husband had tolerated her neediness but not cultivated it in himself; her daughter had been determined to establish her independence from the moment she learned to walk. But there I was with my feathers scattering the light to create an illusion of brilliant green, my fat tongue, my perfect toes. I, Barnes, who would—if she cared for me attentively—grow to love and depend on her as my parent, partner, mate.
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Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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The Parrot/Barnes Quotes in Only the Animals
The Only the Animals quotes below are all either spoken by The Parrot/Barnes or refer to The Parrot/Barnes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Psittacophile: Soul of Parrot
Quotes
What a delight to be needed so acutely! Her ex-husband had tolerated her neediness but not cultivated it in himself; her daughter had been determined to establish her independence from the moment she learned to walk. But there I was with my feathers scattering the light to create an illusion of brilliant green, my fat tongue, my perfect toes. I, Barnes, who would—if she cared for me attentively—grow to love and depend on her as my parent, partner, mate.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
