Line #19 Literature/TheMockeryBird


1	'''''The Mockery Bird''''' is a novel by Creator/GeraldDurrell, published in 1981. Unlike most of his books, which are autobiographical non-fiction, this book is completely fiction.
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3	The book's protagonist, Peter Foxglove is sent to the island of Zenkali, a small British colony, as an assistant to the native King's (or, as he prefers to call himself, Kingy's) advisor. After meeting the many eccentric inhabitants of the island, he discovers that a thought-to-be-extinct bird, the Mockery Bird, worshiped as a deity by the island's natives, is NotSoExtinct after all. But the valley where the bird lives is about to be flooded to build a dam to provide energy for Zenkali's airport, and Peter and his friends need to stop this plan to save the bird.
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5	'''This book provides examples of:'''
6	* AdiposeRex: Kingy, the benevolent ruler of Zenkali, is a huge, fat man.
7	* AuthorTract: The book is largely about what colonialism and uncontrolled industrial development does to small, exotic islands and their ecosystem.
8	* BigFun: Kingy is a large, overweight man with a lot of charm and a great sense of humor. He's so laid-back that he asks his subjects to call him "Kingy" instead of "Your Majesty".
9	* BoisterousBruiser: Pappas is a cheerful man - just don't get on his bad side.
10	* CannibalTribe: Both the Fangua and the Ginka, Zenkali's two native tribes, used to be this.
11	** BlackComedyCannibalism: Kingy sometimes suggests bringing it back, mostly as a way of {{Troll}}ing a particularly annoying dignitary.
12	* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler: The biologist Dr. Droom, who discovers that amela moth caterpillars feed on ombu leaves, and thus destroying the valley would ruin the island's economy.]]
13	* {{Cloudcuckooland}}: Zenkali is a place where quirky people from all over the world end up, blending in with the equally quirky natives.
14	* CoolOldLady: Reverend Judith Jaeger is this combined with BadassPreacher: an American priestess, who is obsessed with guerilla warfare.
15	* CorruptPolitician: Looja uses his political power to make massive profit from building Zenkali's airport.
16	* DeadpanSnarker: Hannibal is easily the snarkiest character in the book.
17	* EvilChancellor: Looja is a powerful politician who assists Kingy, and is easily the most evil person on Zenkali.
18	* {{Expy}}: Captain Pappas is basically Spiro from Durrell's earlier book, ''Literature/MyFamilyAndOtherAnimals'', while Kingy is the Fon of Bafut from ''The Bafut Beagles''.
19	* FunetikAksent: Captain Pappas speaks with an exaggerated Greek accent similar to [[Literature/MyFamilyAndOtherAnimals Spiro]], whereas the Zenkali natives speak a made-up pidgin.
20	* FunnyForeigner: Since Zenkali is a multi-cultural island, many characters show traits of this, but Captain Pappas is the best example with his over-the-top Greek accent and comically tactless moments.
21	* GreenAesop: As usual in Durrell's books. The main message is that every creature, including humans, are connected through ecological relationships, and destroying even one species can lead to a cascade that ultimately harms human society.
22	* HobbesWasRight: Kingy is a benevolent dictator.
23	* HypocriticalHumor: Pappas constantly misnames other people like Peter, but someone mispronounces ''his'' name is his BerserkButton.
24	* ImAHumanitarian / BlackComedyCannibalism: The idea of cannibalism is PlayedForLaughs. The Zenkali natives used to be cannibalistic, and Kingy sometimes suggests to Hannibal they should reintroduce it, just to make him cringe.
25	* LargeHam: Captain Pappas, Hannibal Oliphant and Kingy all speak and act in an over-the-top manner.
26	* LastOfHisKind: The last ''ombu'' tree, dubbed "Stella". [[spoiler: At least until Peter discovers a valley full of them.]]
27	* LeanAndMean: Looja is a very skinny and fragile person, and a complete sociopath.
28	* LemonyNarrator: The guidebook that Peter reads about Zenkali in the first chapter is written in a humorous, tongue-in-cheek style. [[spoiler:The last chapter reveals that the author was Hannibal.]]
29	* MajoredInWesternHypocrisy: Kingy went to college in England before returning to Zenkali and becoming the king.
30	* MicroMonarchy: Zenkali is a tiny island on the Indian Ocean, run by a benevolent monarch. It is part of the British Empire, but is almost completely autonomous.
31	* MultipurposeMonoculturedCrop: The ''amela'' tree, which is the only plant Zenkali produces and exports.
32	* NotSoExtinct: The Mockery Bird is believed to be extinct, but is re-discovered by Peter Foxglove and his friends.
33	* OnlySaneMan: Considering the {{Cloudcuckooland}} nature of Zenkali, Peter, the protagonist gets to play this part. Hannibal also sees himself as this.
34	* PhysicalGod: The Mockery Bird itself was believed to be this by the Fangua, until its apparent extinction.
35	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Kingy is a smart and benevolent leader.

Context Literature / TheMockeryBird