Today in our literary groups I was the scribe. Dan was absent however Kristin, Shiori and I brought up some very important points. I brought up the way the way the Irene treats Sam opposed to the way Irene treats her new baby. Kristin said that Irene has moved on and the baby is a representation of her new family. Shiori said that although their relationship isn't conventional, Sam appreciated Irene for who she is. We also discussed the symbolism behind the birds. Kristin noted the part in the text that refers to how hunters hunt birds. Birds don't expect it just as the young men didn't expect to be thrown into the war. Perhaps Emmett's infatuation with birds is because he feels like a bird that is being hunted. I also brought up a part of the text where the baby's hand is referred to as a "naked little bird." I thought perhaps the birds represented innocence and the freedom and carelessness that babies have. Shiori brought up the meaning behind the title and we discussed why it is In Country opposed to In My Country or In That Country. Perhaps it is because the country is foreign to her or she doesn't know exactly what country she is talking about. The whole book includes secrets and confusion so the confusion in the title suits the novel.