History Main / CagedBirdMetaphor

* In ''Fanfic/KiryuuinChronicles'', this comes subtly with Rei's bird motif. In chapter 8, she's mentioned to be fond of birds and Satsuki points out that birds reminded the former that birds could fly, while she, Rei, her sisters, and Ragyo couldn't, which, in turn, reminded Rei of how they were trapped in their abusive home. In the same chapter, we find out that Rei had a pet dove named "Budgie" and, while crying, she lets her go, giving the bird the freedom they didn't have. This acts as a bit of foreshadowing.

* In ''Theater/{{Trifles}}'' this trope is meant to symbolize women's roles in late 19th-early 20th century society. This is best represented by Minnie (the bird) being trapped and isolated in her abusive marriage (the cage).

* ''Series/CarnivalRow'': The upper-class heiress Imogen has various caged birds scattered around her mansion, the last stronghold of her dwindling fortune. In one scene she is shown looking at one of the birds, framed through the bars of the cage, before looking out her own window, whose crossbars are almost suggestive of a cage.

[[folder:Fanworks]]
* In ''Heart of Fire'', the first part of ''Fanfic/TheHeartTrilogy'', Smaug first captures Kathryn because of her beautiful singing and keeps her locked in [[BirdCaged a giant birdcage]].
[[/folder]]

* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' "Graystripe's Adventure'' graphic novel, when Millie's trying to decide whether to leave her owner and live in the wild, she looks at her owner's pet bird in its cage and wonders aloud, "Would you fly away from here, if you could?"

* Music/MileyCyrus: The music video to "Can't Be Tamed" shows her and her cohorts all feathered up and on display in [[BirdCaged a massive birdcage]]. The song with lyrics deal with themes of surveillance and scrutiny.

The Caged Bird Metaphor is a common AnimalMetaphor in which a character -- often a woman or girl in an oppressive environment -- is associated with a caged bird, [[{{Symbolism}} symbolizing]] their sense of confinement and longing for freedom.

Often a {{Stock Visual Metaphor|s}}. Subtrope of AnimalMetaphor. The character is not AlwaysFemale, though there is a long-standing literary tradition of applying this to the {{Ingenue}}, DamselInDistress, or RebelliousPrincess, where it often overlaps with RichBoredom. Will often be a WideEyedIdealist or StepfordSmiler. Contrast BluebirdOfHappiness. Not to be confused with {{Birdcaged}}, where it's no metaphor.

[[folder:Theater]]

* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'':
** [[TheIngenue Johanna]] sings [[IWantSong a whole song]] wondering why her caged birds are inspired to sing even in captivity, eventually making it clear that she is not just talking about them--she has spent nearly her entire life as a prisoner in Judge Turpin's mansion:
--->''My cage has many rooms, damask and dark\\
Nothing there sings, not even my lark''

[[OlderThanSteam Many, many years ago]], some artistic young woman destined for marriage looked at a pet bird in a cage and thought, "Look at this beautiful creature of the sky, confined to a cell that we may be entertained by its song . . . I know how that feels!" And thus this trope was born.

The Caged Bird Metaphor is a common AnimalMetaphor in which a character--often a woman or girl in an oppressive environment--is associated with a caged bird, [[{{Symbolism}} symbolizing]] their sense of confinement and longing for freedom.

Often a {{Stock Visual Metaphor|s}}. Subtrope of AnimalMetaphor. The character is not AlwaysFemale, though there is a long-standing literary tradition of applying this to the {{Ingenue}}, DamselInDistress, or RebelliousPrincess, where it often overlaps with RichBoredom. Will often be a WideEyedIdealist or StepfordSmiler. Contrast BluebirdOfHappiness.

[[folder:Art]]

[[folder:Theatre]]

* In ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', [[TheIngenue Johanna]] sings [[IWantSong a whole song]] wondering why her caged birds are inspired to sing even in captivity, eventually making it clear that she is not just talking about them--she has spent nearly her entire life as a prisoner in Judge Turpin's mansion:
-->My cage has many rooms, damask and dark\\
Nothing there sings, not even my lark

'''Note that a character just being compared to a bird or just being implied to be in a cage is not enough for this trope; it has to be both.'''

* In ''Series/LastOfTheSummerWine'', Wally Batty was well-known for his pigeon-keeping hobby, and a fairly common plot was the trio coming up with some scheme to break him out from under his wife Nora's thumb long enough to go get a drink down the pub.

* "Able to Sing" by Music/TheIndigoGirls compares a new bride to a songbird being caged.

* In the {{science fiction podcast|s}} ''Podcast/{{SAYER}}'', a female-coded ArtificialIntelligence identifies with the song, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bird_in_a_Gilded_Cage "A Bird in a Gilded Cage"]], and adopts it as a symbol of her subservience to her (male) human creators. This comes as a MeaningfulEcho of several of {{The Heavy}}'s lines, where he uses a "cage" as a metaphor for the AIs' restrictions, though he does not go so far as to compare them to birds.

* In ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', [[TheIngenue Johanna]] sings [[IWantSong a whole song]] wondering why her caged birds are inspired to sing even in captivity, eventually making it clear that she is not just talking about them - she has spent nearly her entire life as a prisoner in Judge Turpin's mansion:
-->My cage has many rooms\\
Damask and dark\\
Nothing there sings\\
Not even my lark

Brought be to this gilded cage.

-->Good-bye, little yellow bird.
-->I'd gladly mate with you--
-->I love you, little yellow bird,
-->But I love my freedom, too.
-->So good-bye, little yellow bird.
-->I'd rather brave the cold
-->On a leafless tree
-->Than a prisoner be
-->In a cage of gold.

-->Like a bird locked up in a cage called love
-->He clipped her wings when she was born to fly
-->He said, "pretty bird, you can't sing
-->But I'll buy you diamonds and ruby rings"
-->Like a bird locked up in a cage

-->Mama's gonna keep baby right here under her wing
-->She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing[[note]][[LiteralMetaphor Interestingly, the protagonist does literally become a singer, though it's implied he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a pilot.]][[/note]]

-->You wouldn't have these wings
-->If you weren't meant to fly

-->Each new enemy turns to steel
-->They become the bars that confine you,
-->In your own little golden prison cell ...
-->But darling, there is where you meet yourself.

-->Harsh necessity
-->Brought be to this gilded cage.
-->Born to higher things,
-->Here I droop my wings,
-->Singing of a sorrow nothing can assuage.

-->No, no, no, no. Come, let's away to prison.
-->We two alone will sing like birds i' th' cage.

-->My cage has many rooms
-->Damask and dark
-->Nothing there sings
-->Not even my lark

--->But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings--
--->I know why the caged bird sings!

--->The caged bird sings
--->with a fearful trill
--->of things unknown
--->but longed for still
--->and his tune is heard
--->on the distant hill
--->for the caged bird
--->sings of freedom.

Note that a character just being compared to a bird or just being implied to be in a cage is not enough for this trope; it has to be both.

Indices: AvianTropes, BoredomTropes, CharacterizationTropes, PrisonTropes, StockVisualMetaphors

The Caged Bird Metaphor is a common AnimalMotif in which a character--often a woman or girl in an oppressive environment--is associated with a caged bird, [[{{Symbolism}} symbolizing]] their sense of confinement and longing for freedom.

Often a {{Stock Visual Metaphor|s}}. Subtrope of AnimalMotif. The character is not AlwaysFemale, though there is a long-standing literary tradition of applying this to the {{Ingenue}}, DamselInDistress, or RebelliousPrincess, where it often overlaps with RichBoredom. Will often be a WideEyedIdealist or StepfordSmiler. Contrast BluebirdOfHappiness.

Indices: AnimalMotifs, AvianTropes, BoredomTropes, CharacterizationTropes, PrisonTropes, StockVisualMetaphors

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Note: Quote formatting is screwing up & I have to work around it. Will be fixed by launch.
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