This chapter was interesting for a few reasons, one of which was how the very first paragraph directly pointed out how American this family was being. Here it was pointed out that the family is in a log cabin in the woods, had a turkey on the table, had four generations present, and were praying. It is also mentioned later that a triangle was rung to usher people in for dinner, and that the father was wearing a cowboy hat, which is a classic American icon. This aspect of being American is interesting for this chapter because Great Horned Owls are actually the most common breed of owl in North America, and so this American theme is very fitting with them. Owls, also most especially the Great Horned Owl, are typically associated with wisdom. The Great Horned Owl feather was tucked into the cowboy hat, for its American homestead, but also was used by the father to accentuate points, which ties into wisdom. Before this it is also mentioned between Terry Williams and Mimi that because of the full moon they should go out owling later. Looking into that a little bit, there are some studies that wonder if perhaps the full moon makes owls louder, or more “chatty.” In this case, Terry Williams and Mimi would be better able to spot Great Horned Owls if they were being noisier than usual. There was also speculation that some prey of the Great Horned Owl hides more during full moons, while others are more active. In the second case, then, the Great Horned Owl may be more active due to this hunting opportunity which would also allow Terry Williams and Mimi to better spot them. Lastly, I found it interesting that Williams describes the table they eat from as being “huge pine.” Pine trees are actually a type of tree that Great Horned Owls will nest in. In this case, the table Terry Williams eats from was a home taken away from this bird.
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