Purple Swamp Hen

Penelope Lively’s The Purple Swamp Hen introduces the reader to, as the title implies, a purple swamp hen sets the Pompeiian stage by introducing himself to the reader using “taxonomy and Latin binomials” before launching into a proud description of how Porphyrio porphyrio porphyrio is “the nominate subspecies” (p. 1). Akin to a proud tour guide who deeply loves his vocation, Purple Swamp Hen guides the reader to his proud spot on a Pompeiian fresco; his image so often overlooked, precisely because he does not receive the recognition he knows he deserves. Mr. Purple Swamp Hen proceeds to slip his wing into the reader’s hand and guide her/him into the fresco, where Purple Swamp Hen guides the reader on a tour of the Pompeiian garden and what that garden has seen of Pompeiians, especially “Quintus Pompeius, his household and his associates” (p. 2). Oh, to be a fly on the wall (read: Oh, to be a Purple Swamp Hen in the garden)…After a narration of what Purple Swamp Hen heard and saw of Pompeiian humans–immorality, slave girl Servilia’s degrading work, Quintus’s volatile temper, Purple Swamp Hen is honest about his overall confusion regarding the sect of humanity witnessed in Pompeii; not necessarily fascinated confusion, and more often “raised-eyebrow” confusion. Purple Swamp Hen shows interest in Servilia, because, while the Pompeius children played roughly with Purple Swamp Hen, Servilia berated them for their choice of toy and freed Purple Swamp Hen. Servilia’s human heart and Purple Swamp Hen’s avian heart understood without dialogue. Servilia did not face charges for her deed, and Purple Swamp Hen explains why he is worth protecting; Purple Swamp Hens “[do not] breed easily”, so in order to continue on Planet Earth, Purple Swamp Hens need any protection they can get (p. 6). Purple Swamp Hen describes a sumptuous, opulent feast, culminating in Quintus put out of humor, to put it mildly. Purple Swamp Hen describes an earthquake heralding the Vesuvian eruption, everybody’s distaste for earthquakes, and the steps he takes to ensure his human ally, Servilia, would hopefully be delivered from the volcano’s blistering grip. Purple Swamp Hen and his mate culminate the tour by taking the reader on a flight to their new home, “a good marshy place, […] the kind of habitat appropriate to Porphyrio porphyrio” (p. 9).

Reference List:

Lively, P. (2016). The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories. New York, NY: Viking