“The Silent Songbird” by Katie Stern Analysis (Essay Example)

What you would sacrifice for a greater cause is purely based on your morals. In the story “The Silent Songbird” by Katie Stern, Madison is set to have to have the lead role in the musical. However for the show to go on, someone needed to sacrifice their role to be a theater assistant. Even though she knows it would be very hard and wouldn't get as much praise, Madison gives up the role for all the other students. Based on the American Indian Legend “The Rainbow Crow” by Mark Drummond, the beautiful melodic Rainbow Crow and his friends were freezing from the winter. To save them, he traveled far into the sky to retrieve fire from the Great Sky Spirit. As he carried the torch back, his feathers got scorched while his lungs were burned. Although he turned into a regular crow, it was his sacrifice to save his friends. Madison and the Rainbow Crow both have good morals despite their immense talents.

Madison and the Rainbow Crow are both unselfish people in their own way. In the "The Silent Songbird", Madison is ready for the show to begin and realizes that "she had been involved in almost every aspect of the entire play” (Stern 1). As Madison takes the role of theater assistant in her school play, she discovers that it’s one of the hardest jobs. Even though it wasn’t what she was interested at first, she discovers some new talents of hers as she helps everyone else. She gets much less credit than she would if she had  the lead role, but she’s able to keep the show going from her unselfishness and hard work. In the "Rainbow Crow", the journey to the kingdom of the Great Sky Spirit was exhausting but his quest had only begun. Even after the Great Sky Spirit warned him of the sacrifice he would have to take, he said “It will be no burden if it will help the others” (Drummond 1). The Rainbow Crow took the fire anyway, causing great harm to his voice and beauty. However the crow was still satisfied with the outcome because he was able to save all of his friends. The crow sacrificed not only much of his time but everything that he was known for to the same ones he loved. Both main characters of their respective stories care about others more than themselves.

Madison and the Rainbow Crow both are very talented but they don’t let that affect their morals. Madison is more talented at singing than Abigail but it doesn’t seem like it when Madison remarks that “Abigail acted like a spoiled Hollywood star and was about as pleasant as a rattlesnake” (Stern 1). She’s unpleasant and bratty to her but despite being her rival, Madison kept quiet about her talents. It’s important for people to recognize and appreciate talent but Madison doesn’t let that get in the way of helping to produce the best show she can. When Rainbow Crow’s feathers burned and his voice turned gravelly, he did not mourn the loss. Instead “Crow never regretted his decision for a moment and felt proud of the assistance he had brought to his friends” (Stern 1). Crow felt accomplished instead of grief despite the fact that all that was special about him was taken away. Although most people probably won’t make sacrifices to the degree of Crow, there’s still much to learn from the story. Both characters sacrificed what made them special for the greater good.

In conclusion, although both characters have incredible gifts, they don’t let it get in the way of their principals. In her short story, Madison endures through the unloved role of theater assistant and Abigail to ensure that her school’s musical goes well. The Rainbow Crow sacrifices his talents and beauty to save his friends from near death. In the beginning of both stories, the main characters had talents that were not able to be used throughout the story but that didn’t matter to them. Only that everyone else around them wouldn’t be disappointed. For someone to sacrifice their talent for the greater good, it’s evident that it’s someone who puts other people before them. Although everyone wants to be recognized for their talents, it’s important to look at the bigger picture and see what effects that would have on others. When people are needed for more important things, it’s sometimes necessary to not cast their talents in the spotlight and perhaps let someone else shine.