The Murmuration of Starlings: A Symbol of Enduring Connection

What Is a Murmuration?

A murmuration is a large flock of starlings that moves in a coordinated, fluid pattern across the sky. In Cleopatra and Frankenstein, Cleo and Frank witness such a spectacle during their final meeting in Rome, six months after their separation. The scene carries deep symbolic weight, encapsulating the novel’s central themes of love, change, and the invisible ties that bind people.

Where the Symbol Appears

The murmuration appears in Chapter Seventeen: January — the penultimate narrative chapter. Cleo and Frank, having signed divorce papers earlier that day, walk through Rome and pause to watch the birds perform their aerial dance. Cleo explains the phenomenon:

“It’s called a murmuration … It’s warmer here in the city, so they return every evening from the surrounding areas.”

She adds that the birds are “beautiful and destructive,” covering cars and mopeds in droppings. This single, vivid occurrence is the only time the murmuration is directly mentioned, but it reverberates through the novel’s larger symbolic network.

How the Symbol’s Meaning Evolves

The murmuration is not static; its meaning shifts as Cleo and Frank discuss it.

• Beauty and wonder – At first glance, the flock is “beautiful,” a mesmerizing natural spectacle that draws the attention of everyone in the piazza.
• Destruction and mess – Cleo immediately counters with the practical downside: “They cover everything in shit.” The beauty is inseparable from the mess — much like their marriage was full of both joy and chaos.
• Coordination without a leader – When Frank asks who directs the flock, Cleo says “There isn’t one. That’s the mystery.” This lack of a central authority mirrors their relationship, which never fit a conventional hierarchy; they influenced each other without one person being in control.
• The rule of five – Cleo explains that each starling is aware of only five others: one above, below, front, and to either side. This limited awareness creates a complex yet harmonious whole. Frank later applies this principle to his own life, listing the five people he “watches” — Zoe, Santiago, Anders, Eleanor, and Cleo. Including Cleo in that list is his way of saying she remains central to his sense of self, even after divorce.

Thus the murmuration evolves from a literal phenomenon into a metaphor for enduring but changed connection — a bond that persists without domination, grounded in mutual awareness.

Character Connections

The murmuration illuminates the inner lives of both protagonists.

Cleo – She has researched the starlings and is happy to share her knowledge, surprising Frank with “the breadth of things he did not know she knew.” This moment underscores her growth: she is no longer the dependent, struggling artist of earlier chapters. In Rome she has cut her hair, entered therapy, and created the installation Life Lines — evidence of her own transformation.

Frank – His list of five people reveals his emotional geography. By including Cleo as the fifth, he affirms she is still one of the people he “watches” or cares about most deeply, even as he begins a new relationship with Eleanor. This public acknowledgment — made in Cleo’s presence — is a quiet declaration of love that has outlasted the marriage.

The interaction also shows how each character has changed. Frank is sober and in AA; Cleo is in therapy. The murmuration, which requires each bird to track only a few neighbors, suggests that healthy relationships — even after ending — can continue if each person remains aware of the other’s well-being.

Themes Illuminated

Why This Symbol Matters

The murmuration of starlings is the novel’s most concentrated image of love without ownership. It validates that two people can remain important to each other without being together. The lack of a leader affirms that no single person should dominate a relationship; the rule of five shows that everyone we love becomes part of the constellation we navigate by.

The scene also reminds us that growth is possible. Frank, the older, recovering alcoholic, is learning to trust a program that asks him to be honest about whom he watches. Cleo, the younger artist, is learning to accept that she can be someone else’s “five” without sacrificing her independence. They are both, like the starlings, moving in formation with a handful of key people — and finding that this is enough.

Study Questions

1. Why does Cleo describe the starlings as both “beautiful” and “destructive”? What does this duality suggest about her view of her past with Frank?
   Answer: Cleo’s description reflects the contradictory nature of their marriage — there was genuine passion and connection (beauty) alongside chaos and pain (destruction). By acknowledging both, she accepts the relationship as it was, without idealizing or condemning it.

2. How does the rule of five — each starling tracks only a few neighbors — mirror the novel’s structure of multiple viewpoints?
   Answer: The novel shifts perspective among several characters (Cleo, Frank, Zoe, Quentin, Anders, Eleanor), each aware of only a handful of others’ inner lives. Like starlings, the characters form a coherent story through limited, overlapping awareness — no single viewpoint controls the narrative.

3. What does Frank’s decision to include Cleo in his five people, even after they agree to divorce, reveal about his character?
   Answer: It shows that Frank is capable of sustaining emotional bonds without possession. His sobriety has taught him to value honest connection over control. Including Cleo demonstrates that he loves her as a person, not as a wife — a more mature, less needy form of attachment.

4. In what ways does the absence of a leader for the flock relate to the novel’s critique of conventional marriage?
   Answer: The flock thrives without a single “head,” suggesting that relationships too can flourish without a designated leader. Cleo and Frank’s marriage struggled partly because Frank defaulted to a provider/patriarch role (paying bills, making decisions), while Cleo chafed against it. The murmuration offers a model where coordination emerges organically from trust, not hierarchy.