The Trumpet of the Swan

“The cob’s wife pretended not to notice that her husband was showing off, but she saw it, all right, and she was proud of his strength and his courage. As husbands go, he was a good one.”

The swan is a perceptive wife and knows her husband well. She knows when he is trying to impress her, yet she is proud of him. She also knows that the cob’s strength, courage, and vanity go hand in hand, and that his good qualities balance his egoistic tendencies.

“An egg, because it contains life, is the most perfect thing there is. It is beautiful and mysterious. An egg is a far finer thing than a tennis ball or a cake of soap. A tennis ball will always be just a tennis ball. A cake of soap will always be just a cake of soap—until it gets so small nobody wants it and they throw it away. But an egg will someday be a living creature.”

Sam values nature over the manmade, seeing the egg as a transformative, life-giving wonder. Later in the novel, however, we see that certain manmade objects—such as Louis’s trumpet—can match this wonder when used by the right person (or animal).

“‘All swans are vain,’ said the cob. ‘It is right for swans to feel proud, graceful—that’s what swans are for.’”

The cob lives within the confines of what he understands as swan nature. His advice to his children explains swans as grand animals that use confidence and strength to take action and navigate uncertainty. To know oneself and to have faith in that knowledge is its own strength.

“There may even be some slight advantage, at your age, in not being able to say anything. It compels you to be a good listener. The world is full of talkers, but it is rare to find anyone who listens.”

Louis takes this key piece of wisdom to heart and uses to his advantage. It is, however, ironic coming from the cob, who is not a particularly great listener. However, it is possible that good advice is helpful irrespective of the person dispensing it.

“He couldn’t understand why he had come into the world without a voice. Everyone else seemed to have a voice. Why didn’t he? ‘Fate is cruel,’ he thought. ‘Fate is cruel to me.’ Then he remembered that his father had promised to help, and he felt better.”

In this moment, Louis fully comprehends what life has in store for him. Through no fault of his own, he was born with a challenge to overcome. However, he is also heartened to know that he does not have to face this challenge alone.

“I never knew flying could be such fun. This is great. This is sensational. This is superb. I feel exalted, and I’m not dizzy. I’ll be able to get to Montana with the rest of the family. I may be defective, but at least I can fly.”

As Louis processes the ramifications of not being able to communicate with his family, he acquires other bird life skills. If he were not able to fly, his life would be a true disaster. However, he gains strength and confidence knowing that he can be the first of his siblings to succeed at other swan skills.

“‘That’s not quite true, Mrs. Hammerbotham,’ said Sam, ‘if you’ll excuse me for saying so. I have watched birds and animals a great deal. All birds and animals talk to one another—they really have to, in order to get along.’”

Although Sam cannot understand the actual speech of birds and animals, his quiet observations have shown him animal sapience that most other humans don’t perceive. This permits him to have a special friendship with Louis and allows him to translate Louis’s needs to Mrs. Hammerbotham.

“Words on a slate meant nothing to them. They couldn’t read. None of the members of his family had ever seen a slate before, or a piece of chalk. Louis’s attempt to greet his family was a failure. He felt as though he had wasted a year and a half by going to school and learning to write. He felt keenly disappointed. And, of course, he was unable to speak. The words on the slate were all he could offer by way of greeting.”

Louis finally comprehends that communication is distinctly different in the swan and human worlds. Humans can communicate through writing, but swans cannot and are not likely to learn. It is a great disappointment to know that he will possibly never be able to fully make his meaning and feelings known to other swans.

“‘I have become a thief. What a miserable fate for a bird of my excellent character and high ideals! Why did I do this? What led me to commit this awful crime? My past life has been blameless—a model of good behavior and correct conduct. I am by nature law-abiding. Why, oh, why did I do this?’ Then the answer came to him, as he flew steadily on through the evening sky. ‘I did it to help my son. I did it for love of my son Louis.’”

The cob is very aware that his theft of the trumpet has besmirched his honor. The cob is a law-abiding bird, and breaking the law is deeply offensive to his sensibility. His decision to do so shows his commitment to helping his son access a means of communication.

“So he found himself with a broken heart, a stolen trumpet, and no one to give him any lessons. Whenever Louis was in trouble, his thoughts turned to Sam Beaver. Sam had helped him before; perhaps he could help him again.”

Louis is at a very low point in life—Serena has just rejected him. He also does not yet know how to play his trumpet and has no one to help him. Luckily not all hope is lost. Friendship is a foundational support, and he thinks his friend Sam may be able to help.

“Everyone is entitled to his likes and dislikes and to his prejudices. Come to think of it, I don’t care for pistachio ice cream. I don’t know why I don’t like it, but I don’t. Do not forget, however, that Louis is one of your counselors. Whether you like him or not, he must be treated with respect.”

Mr. Brickle stresses the importance of respect—respect for authority figures and for the opinions of other people. He clarifies a key human value to the campers—personal preferences are not a substitute for treating others with the deference they deserve.

“‘Thank God!’ shouted Mr. Brickle through his megaphone. ‘Great work, Louis! Camp Kookooskoos will never forget this day! The reputation of the camp has been saved. Our record for safety is still untarnished.’”

Mr. Brickle’s exclamation recognizes the importance of Louis’s lifesaving action: He has saved Applegate’s life and preserved the camp’s honor. Mr. Brickle emphasizes the importance of both personal honor and institutional honor.

“‘If I could just work those three valves with my three toes,’ he said to himself, ‘I could play all sorts of music, not just bugle calls. I could play jazz. I could play country-and-western. I could play rock. I could play the great music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Sibelius, Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Brahms, everybody. I could really be a trumpet player, not just a camp bugler. I might even get a job with an orchestra.’ The thought filled him with ambition.”

Louis is committed to learning the trumpet, not just to earn money, but so that he can become an artist. He feels the call of music and understands the human emotion of ambition. He is inspired by the greatness of other musicians, and wants to be great in his own right. 

“Everyone wanted to ride the Swan Boats behind a real live swan playing a trumpet. It was the biggest happening in Boston in a long time. People like strange events and queer happenings, and the Swan Boat, with Louis out front leading the way, suddenly became the most popular attraction in Boston.”

In addition to Louis’s individual musical talent, the spectacle of a trumpet-playing swan astounds. In entertainment and art, “difference” makes a difference. Although Louis was born with a disabling difference, it is now what marks him as unique and special.

“‘Yeah, I know,’ said the Boatman. ‘Everybody likes money. It’s a crazy world. But, I mean, why would a swan need money? You can get your meals just by dipping down and pulling up tasty plants at the bottom of the lake. What do you need money for?’”

The Boatman sees the need to earn money is a great burden, and is surprised that a swan would want to have a job. Animals do not need money, so why is Louis concerned with work? The Boatman yearns not to need money and things to live in the world.

“‘Well, I don’t know,’ said the clerk, staring at Louis’s possessions—his trumpet, his money bag, his slate, his chalk pencil, his lifesaving medal. ‘A bird is a bird. How do I know he hasn’t got lice? Birds often have lice. The Ritz won’t take anybody that has lice.’”

The clerk’s resistance to Louis is very strong, and almost prejudicial in its stubbornness. He insultingly brings up the question of lice to find any excuse to not give Louis a room for the night. This is the book’s closest analog to racial prejudice, and a place where Louis is a stand in for a racial or ethnic minority. 

“To be all alone in a hotel room gives a person a cozy feeling and a feeling of importance. Louis felt great. But soon he began feeling rather lonely, too.”

New experiences are exciting, sought after, and envied. However, not being able to share these experiences lessens them. In writing Sam a letter, Louis reveals a desire to make his experiences real by sharing them with his friend.

“He was not sure he was going to like his new job. He was not sure he liked Mr. Lucas. But he needed money badly, and when you need money, you are willing to put up with difficulties and uncertainties.’”

Louis has now internalized the importance of earning money and maintaining one’s work commitments. At the same time, personally liking one’s employer or taking joy in one’s job is not a work requirement—instead, Louis will give Mr. Lucas the same kind of respect Applegate Skinner earlier gave him.

“The first three or four notes were played softly. Then as the song progressed, the sound increased; the light in the sky grew brighter. Beau-ti-ful dream-er, wake un-to me / Star-light and dew-drops are wait-ing for thee. Each note was like a jewel held to the light.”

Louis imbues his serenade of Serena with all of the experience and knowledge of music he has acquired since leaving Red Rock Lakes. His control over vocalizing his feeling through the trumpet is complete. Each note is a crafted gem in the larger composition of his message. 

“These were Louis’s secret thoughts. He was the happiest bird alive. He was a real Trumpeter Swan at last. His defect of being without a voice had at last been overcome. He felt very grateful to his father.”

At long last, Louis knows that he has overcome fate’s challenge. Earning money and communicating with humans is all well and good, but being able to find a mate is the true test for any male swan. He recognizes the wisdom of his father, who could not teach him to play the trumpet, but did give him the means to express himself.

“‘Freedom,’ replied Louis on his slate. ‘Safety is all well and good: I prefer freedom.’”

Having spent so much time with humans, Louis understands the prioritization of safety. However, he is still a swan. He does not need the safety of the Zoo, and would “pine away” and die in captivity (176).

“Animals are birds are lucky. They don’t keep acquiring things, the way men do. You can teach a monkey to drive a motorcycle, but I have never known a monkey to go out and buy a motorcycle.”

The Head Man idealizes the freedom from monetary constraints he imagines animals have. Humans acquire objects that require money, but while animals might use objects, but they do not yearn for them. As Sam points out, this overgeneralization is not actually true. For example, rats collect objects—as do swans that cannot speak.

“‘The gun was fired in self-defense. Everyone is innocent, the swan is honest, the debt is paid, the storekeeper is rich, and the case is dismissed.’”

Humans need to judge and define events, examining causality, responsibility, and assigning blame and guilt.