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 himself. One day he is asked by his mother to go out to the barn and exterminate the pigeons. With his fear of death, David questions whether or not he wants to kill anything. Despite how he feels, David goes to the barn and shoots the pigeons. His facial expression changes from guilt to an intense satisfaction as he conquers the demons of death. David feels an epiphany as he leans over a dead pigeon and notices its incredible beauty. In the feathers of the pigeon he sees Gods work, and realizes that everything is significant in the eyes of God. This makes him feel comfortable in believing that there will be life after death, and he says "maybe we don't die." The answers to his questions lied with himself.
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.