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.