Two Birds or Two Women?

          In "To Blue Birds" by D.H. Lawrence, Mr. Gee has two women in his life. He has his wife, whom he does not want to live with and no longer loves, and then he has his secretary, who writes down every word he says and follows all of his orders. Mrs. Gee is jealous of Miss Wrexall, the secretary, because of how competent and young she is. Also, she is jealous that Miss Wrexall takes all the time and attention from her husband for ten to twelve hours a day. Miss Wrexall spends her time being dictated by Mr. Gee and transcribing every word he says. Mrs. Gee struggles with the idea that her husband is a boss and has somebody that waits on him hand and foot. She says, "she may have a husband, but a husband is the mere shred of a man compared to a boss, a chief, a man who dictates to you whose words you faithfully write down and then transcribe."
           Mrs. Gee views the world differently than Miss Wrexall. Mrs. Gee is all about herself and what she can get out of life. Miss Wrexall is happy with having a job and earning her minimal wages. She is happy working for Mr. Gee and being by his side making his life easier. Mrs. Gee even asks Miss Wrexall why people like her do not think of themselves. She is completely self absorbed and only focused on what life has to offer her. Miss Wrexall, however, focuses on what she can do for other people in her life. Mrs. Gee degrades her and says, "why, I should say you got nothing out of him at all, you only give! And if you don't call that making yourself cheap-my God!" Mrs. Gee feels as if Miss Wrexall has taken the life she once had with her husband.
           While working with Mr. Gee in the garden, two blue birds fought around the feet of the secretary. Mrs. Gee took notice of the birds and went over to where the two were working. She pointed out how extraordinary they were and how much she loved them. The two birds fighting represent the secretary and Mrs. Gee, fighting for the attention of Mr. Gee. He has two women in his life that crave his attention, but Miss Wrexall receives all of his attention from his wife. The two women cannot both be happy if they want different things from the same man. The birds show the fighting that occurs between the women that seems harmless, but really is an insult to each woman's personality and sense of self. Mrs. Gee says to her husband and the secretary, "But I'm afraid no man can expect two blue birds of happiness to flutter round his feet, tearing out their little feathers!" She knows that her husband has lost interest in her and moved on to the secretary. She knows that she cannot make her husband happy.
          Mrs. Gee realizes that her husband no longer shows interest in her, but rather the secretary. The secretary adores Mr. Gee and wants nothing to aggravate him. Mrs. Gee compared her husband's dictating voice to the voice of God talking to Samuel. She compared him to God because he never had anything to worry about and had people do things for him. She thought he had it prefect and she was able to benefit from his well being. She did not have to earn anything in life and got expressive belongings. Mrs. Gee is a selfish, greedy person that no longer finds happiness with her husband. The two blue birds show that her husband cannot be happy with her anymore since the secretary has been in his life.