The Someday Birds

Charlie’s Someday Birds List is symbolic of hope and courage. Charlie and his dad make the list because Dad thinks “hoping against hope” that they’ll encounter the birds is a way to “ma[k]e life exciting” (22). Charlie wants to find “all the birds…listed, even the impossible ones” with his dad’s help (22). However, after Dad is injured in Afghanistan, Charlie realizes that he’ll have to hunt for the Someday Birds himself. Throughout his cross-country journey, the list motivates Charlie and inspires him to be brave. Even when he feels too anxious to try new experiences, Charlie uses the list to challenge himself and find the courage he didn’t think he had. The list helps him to venture into new environments and talk to new people. Furthermore, the list gives Charlie the courage to confront his worries about his dad’s well-being. Whenever he’s worried about Dad’s health, he remembers the list. He feels that if he can make Dad proud by courageously searching for their birds, he might be able to help Dad recover, mirroring the point that the list represents hope.