61 pages • 2 hours read
Wild Bird
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Symbols & Motifs
Letters
Letters are a recurring motif that underline the theme of The Healing Power of Nature, Community, and Storytelling. The first letter that appears in the book is from Wren’s mother, explaining where Wren is going and why. Wren’s reaction to it showcases her feelings of isolation and betrayal, whose origins go back further than the letter. Wren’s anger at being tricked into her current situation is also related to the anger she feels at her family’s increased detachment from each other after the move. Furthermore, her irritation that the letter is printed, not handwritten, highlights the disconnect that she feels from her mother.
These letters showcase three things. Most importantly, they highlight Wren’s tendency to seek escapist routes for dealing with difficult situations; this is applicable to her imaginative storytelling, as well as her desire to seek an altered state of consciousness through drugs and alcohol. The letters also display Wren’s close bond with Mo. Finally, they help Wren to process her time at camp in a positive manner as she rewrites difficult experiences through the lens of adventure and entertainment.
Significantly, it is a letter from home that finally triggers Wren’s breakdown and eventual breakthrough. The article about Nico and Meadow’s arrest, as well as the news that her parents have accessed her text history, lead Wren to eventually confess to everything that she has done, and her three days alone in the desert also lead her to process the past three years through long letters to each of her family members. Eventually, Wren begins to look forward to letters from home, especially after she realizes that things will be okay. Wren even actively engages in letter-writing with others, writing one to Hannah after the latter leaves for home. This shows that Wren progressed from a place of anger and isolation to one of self-reflection and connectedness.
Fire
The recurring symbol of fire first appears when Wren learns that it is one of the elements she must master to advance from Rabbit to Coyote, and the abstract associations of flame are further emphasized when Michelle explains that learning to light a fire outside will enable her to light a fire inside of herself as well. Mastering fire is much more difficult than finding water. Its mastery is significant in a literal, metaphorical, and a therapeutic sense, for it marks Wren’s final hurdle to advance to the next level at camp. This factor can be linked to the historical significance that fire holds in human civilization. Fire is a life-changing tool that has always provided light at night, warmth in cold weather, and protection against other creatures. In this sense, the discovery and control of fire accelerated human evolution, and the camp honors this by using the skill of fire-starting as a rite of passage to show that a camper is ready for to evolve and progress.
Mastering fire is also an essential part of wilderness therapy’s approach, the heart of which involves learning and acquiring skills that equip campers to face a range of real-life challenges. Wren experiences this sense of accomplishment and confidence throughout her time at camp, and she tells her mother that learning to build a fire was a turning point in the path to find herself. This is also in keeping with the experience of real-life individuals who have actually attended such camps. Thus, when Wren asserts to Mo they must start from the beginning, building a fire is the first thing she suggests.
“Wild Bird”
The title of the book is derived from Mokov’s nickname for Wren and is significant because of the importance that names and labels carry throughout the book. This motif emphasizes the central theme of Shedding Labels and Embracing Self-Discovery. At the beginning of the book, Wren’s name and its meaning are sources of irritation to her. She resets her mother’s habit of calling her “Baby Bird” and lashes out at Dax when he teases her about her name. Significantly, Wren’s negative feelings about her name lead to her friendship with Meadow, for both girls bond over their dislike of their unique names.
From the moment she arrives at camp, however, Wren learns to adopt a different perspective on her name, and relatedly, on her personality and identity. Despite her scoffing, Michelle insists that Wren’s name is beautiful. This foreshadows how Wren’s time at camp will show her new ways to value and appreciate personality traits of hers that were previously considered to be problematic, such as her willfulness or her ability to tell stories. Over time, Wren arrives at a sense of identity that is independent of other people’s expectations; this shift is caused by the acceptance and encouragement to embrace her full personality. Thus, she is finally able to accept herself completely. This is symbolized when she embraces her name and the moniker of “Wild Bird” by weaving different bird feathers into her hair.
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By Wendelin Van Draanen
