Pigeon Feathers is known as one of the better short stories of our time. It was written by John Updike in 1962 and conveyed the importance of faith in God. John Updike was born in Schilling, PA in 1932, and began writing at an early age. In his writings, Updike liked to write about normal people struggling with realizations of the world around them.
Pigeon Feathers involves a young boy, David, moving from the city to a country farm with his family. David is a curious boy who begins to question life and death, and reads H.G. Wells “The outline of history.” He seeks out many of his questions by turning to his family, the bible, and the local reverend. After being frustrated with what he believes to be a conspiracy of lies around him, David decides he must find the answers
Many events take place in the story that affects the state of David’s mind. He is thrown into a completely new environment in which everything that was familiar to him is gone. David had a couch in the city where he would love to sit and read. The couch is thrown out in the barn when they move, creating a sense of loss.
David has two very different parents who argue over whether or not the farm has soul. His father is a realist, and his mother is a non-realist. David is confused by the different messages that he gets from his parents, none of which truly answer his questions. The death of his grandfather adds to the fact that he wants to know what truly happens after death. David confronts the reverend and asks him about heaven and soul. He becomes overwhelmingly frustrated when a “man of god
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