The parrot is a symbol of the native country. If gold in the novel represents rulership, then the parrot's cage "like gold" might symbolize Costaguana's (and Latin America's) de facto rulership from abroad. The parrot's juxtaposition of the patriotic cry with the voice of a foreigner calling for her native servant emphasizes Costaguana's plight, and implicates Mrs Gould in it. The image subtly contributes to Mrs Gould's sense of uncertainty in the coming scene.