A Bird in the House

The theme of entrapment is evident in Margaret Laurence's A Bird in the House; all the characters in the novel are entrapped. These characters deal with the sense of confinement and the need for escape. Vanessa, Ewen and Aunt Edna all reach personal freedom, however only to a small extent because they are left with the pain of their memories and regrets. Vanessa reaches personal freedom to a small extent. The stories in A Bird …

…when he was away at war, he was away from home and this was a time in which he was happy. Aunt Edna struggled throughout her life and was trapped by Grandfather Conner, she reached personal freedom when she marries Wes Grigg and goes away from home. The theme of entrapment is evident throughout A Bird in the House and every character in the stories is trapped in the pain of their memories and regrets.