The Good Lord Bird symbolizes having understanding and thus being at peace while simultaneously representing the liberation that accompanies this new understanding of the world. Most commonly, birds are used to depict ideas of freedom, and the Good Lord Bird is no exception. Since its feathers are believed to give understanding to the troubled people who need it, it can also be said that the feathers give people a chance to be free, like it is, from stress, worry, and doubt. On page 33, Frederick, who is unable to convey his thoughts clearly, says that gaining the "understanding that'll last your whole life" comes from the "memories and things" that are illustrated more clearly with the help of the Good Lord Bird's feather (McBride 33). The "memories and things" are synonymous with the experience a person gets from living life, which, when applied, can "last your whole life." The concept of the Good Lord Bird relates to the overall theme of the novel and its title by acting as a metaphor for the clarification each of the characters need in each of their own situations. Because lying is a major theme of The Good Lord Bird, this need for understanding is crucial and the Good Lord Bird provides that new, broader perspective that the characters need when confronting their blurry lives.
2) What is Henry's nickname? How did he earn it?
Henry got his nickname, Little Onion, from Old John Brown as a way of thanking Henry for reminding him what God values in a man. Although Henry acted on a misunderstanding, Old John Brown took Henry biting into his onion charm to mean that Old Man should not hold materialistic items with such value and should do away with such objects just as Henry metaphorically showed him by eating his onion charm. Old John Brown compares the act to "Jesus Christ [who] munched on the sins of the world so that [Henry and he] might live" (McBride 24). Because Old John Brown is so religious, it was easy for him to turn a teaching from the Bible into something he was experiencing in the moment, and having learned a lesson, presented Henry, the person who enlightened him, with a special nickname.
3) What was Henry's rationale for continuing to live a lie? Was it justifiable?
Throughout the beginning of The Good Lord Bird, Henry is obsessed with the idea that he is helpless as Old John Brown's prisoner. Henry takes this to another level when he continues to lie about his gender because he believes that it will protect him from the evil nature of Old John Brown, a man who tells Henry, "You just as free as the birds run" (McBride 29). Because Old John Brown tells Henry that he has rescued him from slavery, his actions are not justifiable and are just an excuse to avoid the confrontations he might have to make, like fighting or providing labor, should he transition back into male.
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