Alecko Character Analysis in My Family and Other Animals

Alecko is a large and cantankerous black-backed gull whom Gerry acquires from the convict Kosti. Kosti found Alecko in Albania, and, as a prisoner, he struggles to feed him properly. Despite Gerry's admiration for the bird, nobody else in the family shares his positive feelings: Larry believes the bird is an albatross and therefore unlucky, while Alecko doesn't help matters by biting anyone who gets too close.

Alecko Quotes in My Family and Other Animals

The My Family and Other Animals quotes below are all either spoken by Alecko or refer to Alecko. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

Once the thing was explained, of course, it was simple. It never even occurred to me that the procedure was unusual. I knew one wasn't allowed home for weekends from an English prison, but this was Corfu, and in Corfu anything could happen.

Related Characters: Gerry Durrell (speaker), Alecko, Kosti

Page Number and Citation: 243

Explanation and Analysis:

"I assure you the house is a death-trap. Every conceivable nook and cranny is stuffed with malignant faunae waiting to pounce...A simple, innocuous action like lighting a cigarette is fraught with danger. Even the sanctity of my bedroom is not respected. First, I was attacked by a scorpion...Now we have snakes in the bath and huge flocks of albatrosses flapping around the house, making noises like defective plumbing."

Related Characters: Larry Durrell (speaker), Gerry Durrell, Leslie Durrell, Alecko, The Magenpies, The Snakes

Page Number and Citation: 260

Explanation and Analysis:

Alecko Quotes in My Family and Other Animals

The My Family and Other Animals quotes below are all either spoken by Alecko or refer to Alecko. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

Once the thing was explained, of course, it was simple. It never even occurred to me that the procedure was unusual. I knew one wasn't allowed home for weekends from an English prison, but this was Corfu, and in Corfu anything could happen.

Related Characters: Gerry Durrell (speaker), Alecko, Kosti

Page Number and Citation: 243

Explanation and Analysis:

"I assure you the house is a death-trap. Every conceivable nook and cranny is stuffed with malignant faunae waiting to pounce...A simple, innocuous action like lighting a cigarette is fraught with danger. Even the sanctity of my bedroom is not respected. First, I was attacked by a scorpion...Now we have snakes in the bath and huge flocks of albatrosses flapping around the house, making noises like defective plumbing."

Related Characters: Larry Durrell (speaker), Gerry Durrell, Leslie Durrell, Alecko, The Magenpies, The Snakes

Page Number and Citation: 260

Explanation and Analysis: