Commentary on the Cockcrow

COMMENTARY ON THE COCKCROW

Debbie, Sandy, and Pepe

Short Story by Merill Corney

Characters

1. · Debbie: the main character, she finds Pepe
2. · Sandra: Debbie's sister
3. · Pepe: a bird that Debbie found.

Summary

Debbie and Sandy were two sisters who found a baby bird in a path beside their house and decided to take care of it. They built a house for it and tried to feed it, but the bird would not eat.

That night Debbie wondered about the bird and realized how much she was fond of her new friend. All day in school Debbie was excited. She even told her teacher about the bird. She went out to the field the next day to pick worms for the bird.

When they got home from school, Sandy and Debbie went to feed the bird as usual but found out that it was dead.

Both the girls were very sad but Debbie was more affected by the death of the bird. Sandy accused her of being softhearted about everything. Debbie knew it was true because she couldn't bear to think of anybody or anything suffering or dying. She went to her mother and told her the bad news and then asked her mother if birds went to heaven.

Her mother was not sure. But on a calendar in her house she realized that God knew and cared for all birds and so her baby bird was in safe hands.

Examples of Literary Devices

The following are some literary devices found in the story. Learn the meaning of these literary devices and look out for them in the story. For the following examples, you may need to refer to the meaning of the literary device outlined in this Study Guide. Do this frequently to understand why the examples are literary devices. The more you identify literary devices in the story, the better your understanding of them would be. You will then be able to appreciate the literary value of the work. The page numbers refer to the pages in the textbook, The Cockcrow.

Point of view: the short story is narrated from the third person point of view where the pronoun "he" or "she" in reference to the narrator is used.

Imagery: Note how the following example of imagery from the story appeals to the senses:

They chose the old letter box in the hedge for a nest. It was part of the front fence but the cypress hedge had grown over it so that the postman could not reach it. Now he put the mail in the new box shaped like a house that sat on the gatepost.

Mood: The following scene conveys a happy mood: "With ears full of bird song and the beating of many wings. Debbie ran and hugged her surprised mother." (p. 13).

Personification: "...but she knew that when he grew up he would be very handsome (he refers to the bird) – p. 9

Metaphor: It felt like a great weight on her heart. (p. 12)

Simile: "she wriggled her finger like a worm" (p. 7);

"I could tie the knots to his legs send messages to my friends like they used to do with pigeons during the war (p. 10)

"It looks like yellow plastic" (p. 7)

Hyperbole: "I've been waiting for ages." (p. 10)

Onomatopoeia: "Sandra held a twisting work close to its beak." (p. 8)

"The half fledged, ugly little creature nestled down with eye closed, then jerked its beak open and squawked for food." (p. 8)

­"Its beak opened wide, and it let out a squeaking, much louder than you would expect from such a small body." (p. 7)

Alliteration: "Your mother must be so worried." (p. 7).

Discussion/Essay Questions

1. Why did Debbie name the bird "Pepe"? Explain how you think the name fits the bird?

.2. According to the story, what role did birds play during the war?

3. Contrast the character of Debbie and Sandra, showing their different emotions.

4. Which literary device can be found in this sentence: "She wriggled her finger like a worm and the little creature snapped harmlessly at her."?

5. What is the theme of this story?

6. Why did Debbie think Sandy had killed the bird? What caracter trait does this portrait about Debbie?

7. Describe the photograph that was on the calendar when Debbie turned it over.

8. State the Bible quotation that was on the calendar when Debbie turned it over. What does this quotation suggest about a theme for this story?

9. Why did Debbie become happy after reading the Bible quotation?

10. "And Sandra stamped angrily inside" What literary device can be found in this sentence fragment?

11. What do you know about Mother?

12. Find three examples of literary devices in the story.

 

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