Content Warning: This guide section depicts physical and emotional abuse.

In this novel, birds are a broad symbol of the beauty of the natural world that Nell values. In the first chapter, she discusses her concern over the disappearance of the nightjar species of birds. As the novel goes on, she expresses an affinity for other species, such as the kingfisher and the bullfinch. Although migratory patterns can explain their movements, the birds’ disappearance is a symbol of the ephemeral quality of the world around Nell. Nell does not fear their disappearance, but she is anxious about losing the awe they inspire.

The meaning of this symbol shifts towards the latter half of the novel. Nell mimics the migratory patterns of birds by traveling around the world. When she gets her second tattoo, Nell chooses the image of a wren because it reminds her of home. Nell’s time away from Dublin distances her from the natural world she loves, drawing her to return to the nest she finds in Carmel’s home. The novel ends with Nell’s encounter with a bullfinch, which teaches her that the beauty of reality is far too magnificent for language to sufficiently capture.