Thomas Connell
Jealous Bird Man
In Robert Olen Butlers, “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot”, the narrator finds
himself unable to trust or communicate with his wife because of his own vulnerability and
fears of losing her. Tragically it was his fear that killed him in the end; while trying to spy
on his wife and the new guy from the shipping department in his bedroom, the narrator
falls from a tree dying instantly and ironically is reincarnated as a handsome Yellow-nape
Amazon Parrot. Although parrots can mimic sounds or words they hear, it seems there is
only more of a communication gap between the two as fate reunited them together now as
a widow and a pet bird. By the end of this story the differences in the narrator as a bird and
as a man are self evident by the loss of his egotism and jealousy even if it means death to
make his wife happy.
One might argue that the narrators extreme jealousy is a perfect example of his love and
compassion for his wife, although it is this same jealousy that fuels his ego and wont allow
him to express his insecurities. For example, “She said another thing about [the guy from
the shipping department] and then another and right after the third one I locked myself in
the bathroom because I couldnt rage about this anymore”(Pg.767). It is obvious that his
refusal to speak to his wife was due to a mixture of his own male pride and his fears of
