Homeless Bird

In Homeless Bird, animals are important symbols, often representing either Koly herself or an aspect of the life she seeks. Her arranged marriage makes her feel trapped, “like a newly caged animal that rushes about looking for the open door that isn’t there” (23). Reinforcing this comparison after her husband dies and Sass subsequently abandons her, Koly realizes that her government has no interest in protecting her right to a widow’s pension. In the marketplace, she sees a “trained monkey on a chain” and a caged mynah bird that “had been blinded to make it sing” (98). These animals represent Koly. Their chains, cages, and abusive captivity symbolize the institution of arranged marriage and thematically support The Impacts of Cultural Traditions on Women’s Rights and Identities. The author depicts the institution from a feminist viewpoint, highlighting its underlying transactional nature. Like many others, Koly’s marriage is arranged based on economic interests rather than compatibility, and thus Koly is treated like a commodity, not a human. Like the cruel people who blind the mynah bird to get it to sing, Sass mistreats Koly and takes advantage of her helplessness to benefit from her dowry, her labor, and later, her widow’s checks.