The title of Margret Atwood’s “The Resplendent Quetzal” emphasizes the symbolism of the resplendent quetzal and the importance it has in the story. The title prepares the reader to pay close attention to what the quetzal represents and therefore changes how the reader interprets the story. The title helps the reader to understand the story’s central ideas by first realizing that the quetzal is a symbol. Edward states that the Aztecs believed that the feathers of a quetzal symbolize the souls of unborn babies. The quetzals symbolize Edward himself because of the fact that male quetzals take care of the young alongside the females. Both Sarah’s and Edward’s thoughts on the quetzal reveal their true thoughts about having a new baby.
Edward believes …show more content…
Both build the nest and find food for their babies. The fact that male quetzals assist in raising the young is important because the quetzal is a symbol for Edward in this way. Edward prepares to care for his baby by marrying Sarah, dropping out of Theology and taking a job as a sixth grade teacher. This is related to how the male quetzals take care of their young because Edward feels like he needs to be able to support the family and that he has to do everything he can to provide for this child. Therefore, Edward sees Sarah differently when she is pregnant: “Every evening he had massaged her belly, feeling the child move, touching it through her skin. To him it was a sacred thing, and he included her in his worship” (243). Similar to a quetzal that only cares for its babies, Edward wants to take care of his baby, but not Sarah herself. After the child dies Sarah feels that Edward had abandoned her: “When she no longer had the child inside her he had lost interest, he had deserted her” (245). Likewise, if there were no babies the male quetzal would not stay with the female, and since there was no baby Edward stops caring for Sarah in the same …show more content…
Sarah wants to see only the resplendent quetzal. When she is told by Edward that they are not likely to see the quetzal Sarah says, “Well, that’s the one I want. That’s the only one I want” (243). Sarah’s stubbornness about only wanting to see the quetzal is similar to how she only wants the specific baby that she lost. She is stuck in her grief waiting for that baby. In fact, after losing the child, she did not go back to school or get a job. Edward thinks about Sarah’s actions after losing the baby: “She sat at home, tidying the apartment, looking over his shoulder, towards the door, out the window, as if she was waiting for something” (240). Sarah’s actions reveal that she is just waiting for that baby to take care of it. Sarah reflects on her feelings about her deceased child: “Sometimes she felt as if there had been some mistake, the child had not been born yet. She could still feel it moving, ever so slightly, holding on to her from the inside” (245). Her thought that the baby is still inside of her shows that she is longing for that baby. Therefore, she does not want to have another baby: “She would never take that risk, go through all that work again” (244), “She took the pill every day” (244). Although preparing to have a baby and constantly waiting for one, Sarah says that she would never have another because she only wants the one that passed away. She feels the
Edward believes …show more content…
Both build the nest and find food for their babies. The fact that male quetzals assist in raising the young is important because the quetzal is a symbol for Edward in this way. Edward prepares to care for his baby by marrying Sarah, dropping out of Theology and taking a job as a sixth grade teacher. This is related to how the male quetzals take care of their young because Edward feels like he needs to be able to support the family and that he has to do everything he can to provide for this child. Therefore, Edward sees Sarah differently when she is pregnant: “Every evening he had massaged her belly, feeling the child move, touching it through her skin. To him it was a sacred thing, and he included her in his worship” (243). Similar to a quetzal that only cares for its babies, Edward wants to take care of his baby, but not Sarah herself. After the child dies Sarah feels that Edward had abandoned her: “When she no longer had the child inside her he had lost interest, he had deserted her” (245). Likewise, if there were no babies the male quetzal would not stay with the female, and since there was no baby Edward stops caring for Sarah in the same …show more content…
Sarah wants to see only the resplendent quetzal. When she is told by Edward that they are not likely to see the quetzal Sarah says, “Well, that’s the one I want. That’s the only one I want” (243). Sarah’s stubbornness about only wanting to see the quetzal is similar to how she only wants the specific baby that she lost. She is stuck in her grief waiting for that baby. In fact, after losing the child, she did not go back to school or get a job. Edward thinks about Sarah’s actions after losing the baby: “She sat at home, tidying the apartment, looking over his shoulder, towards the door, out the window, as if she was waiting for something” (240). Sarah’s actions reveal that she is just waiting for that baby to take care of it. Sarah reflects on her feelings about her deceased child: “Sometimes she felt as if there had been some mistake, the child had not been born yet. She could still feel it moving, ever so slightly, holding on to her from the inside” (245). Her thought that the baby is still inside of her shows that she is longing for that baby. Therefore, she does not want to have another baby: “She would never take that risk, go through all that work again” (244), “She took the pill every day” (244). Although preparing to have a baby and constantly waiting for one, Sarah says that she would never have another because she only wants the one that passed away. She feels the