An English Media Assignment
This guide tells students and teachers what to look for in analysing Daphne du Maurier’s short story The Birds and then reviewing Hitchcock’s film version.
The guide allows you to study each work separately or combine the two pieces together into an English Media Studies assignment.
Answer the questions on computer so you can rejig your comments into an essay by removing the question numbers and cutting and pasting the comments in different places.
The Short Story
The story is taken from a collection now called “The Birds and other Stories”, but the anthology was originally called “The Apple Tree” and was published by Gollancz in 1952.
Your comments on Nat Hocken should point out how his qualities enable him and his family to survive the trauma of the bird attacks.
DO NOT SIMPLY RETELL THE STORY!
STAND BACK AND ANALYSE THE HERO.
1. The first page of the tale mentions Nat’s disability. He did not work full time. How did this fact help him combat the birds? In the course of the story, does Nat complain of being disabled? Is he unable to tackle certain jobs because of his condition. One reader said Nat was a “Superb ambassador for the disabled”. What do you think he meant by this?
2. On page 7, Du Maurier says Nat liked working alone. Does this show in the tale later?
3. Even if he is a...
