This short story, “The Widow and the Parrot,” by Virginia Woolf, contains many forms of irony. The plot is interesting in the sense that there is a new twist at every page turn. Mrs. Gage, an old lady who loves animals, receives word that she has inherited 3,000 pounds. This is a surprise to her because her brother, who left her the money when he died, never really seemed that generous.
Being quite poor, the old lady gratefully goes to claim the money. However, when she arrives at the government office, she is regretfully informed that the money, all 3,000 pounds of it, cannot be found. Besides the fact that anything Mrs. Gage's brother owned, house, furniture, everything, is in poor condition and practically worthless. The only thing of value is an old parrot named James that catches Mrs. Gage's attention, being one who loves animals. In the story, Mrs. Gage knocks on the door of her brother's old home, and is greeted with a funny voice exclaiming, “Not at home! Not at home!” It is the parrot of course, who has a very high vocabulary level and can practically hold conversations.
It is very ironic considering her brother never cared for any sort of animal. Why on earth would he own a unique, talking parrot? Mrs. Gage is advised to sell the bird as soon as possible, and for any amount. It is most likely all she will receive from the little her brother left. An unexpected twist in our story leads us to the scene where the widow's newly inherited house burns to the ground, along with everything in it. Or so it seems. The one survivor, James the parrot, comes knocking at the widow's window that night where she is staying at a friend's cottage. In the morning, James leads the old lady to the spot where the house one stood and takes her right to the treasure hoard of the old miser who was the widow's brother.
Consequently, the old lady refuses to part with the bird for “all the wealth of the Indies.” This is not the conclusion to the story, nor to the irony within. At the very end, Mrs. Gage becomes quite ill and is telling the story of the parrot and the hidden money, though no one believes her. However, as the old lady takes her last breath, the parrot screeches, “Not at home! Not at home!” and keels over, dead.
