Essay Questions

Who is the protagonist in 'When Women Were Birds, and how significant is she?

Terry Tempest Williams is the central character in the memoir. Terry is a renowned conservationist, teacher, socialist and author who has won several awards in her lifetime. Terry is a significant character because she details her relationship with her mother. Similarly, Terry explores a woman's potential and encourages the female gender to be confident and exploit their potential.

How figurative does the narrator discover the journals in the three shelves?

The blank journals discovered by Terry symbolize creativity. Initially, Terry expected to find filled up journals because she was eager to read them. Ironically, the journals were empty, and she had to fill all of them creatively. Therefore, Terry gets the opportunity to be imaginative and creative to assemble her mother's thoughts into a complete book.

What is the main lesson Terry learns from her mother’s childhood memories?

Terry learns that her mother was patient, determined and ambitious. She decides to uphold her mother’s legacy by being a conservationist champion, socialist, teacher and successful author. Therefore, Terry’s value of self-sufficiency is a product of her mother’s lessons in her life.