The Yellow Birds

While the main characters in the novel are all male (Bart, Murph, Sterling, the LT), there are a number of important scenes involving women. Using two or three of these scenes, discuss the role of women in the novel. How do the male main characters react to them or interact with them? How does this reveal their characters more fully? In what ways do the female characters have their own stories, apart from male characters? Why do you think Powers includes these scenes in the novel? What role do they play in the plot and/or in thematic developments?

As an epigraph at the beginning of the novel, Powers transcribes a “Traditional U.S. Army Marching Cadence,” from which the novel takes its title. How does this cadence relate to the novel’s themes? Using a few key passages and/or scenes, explicate your answer in detail. Why do you think Powers chose the title he did?

Powers chose a nonlinear structure for The Yellow Birds, beginning with the events of September2004, in Al Tafar, then moving backward in time to when Bart first meets Murph and makes the promise to Murph’s mother, while also interspersing sections from after Bart’s tour of duty, when Bart is back home.