As singer Hannah Montana once sang, “Life’s what you make it”. Whether that is a life that is long or a life that is brief, Hannah Montana believes that each individual can choose their path as they please. In the short story “Joyas Voladores” by Brian Doyle, Doyle agrees with Hannah Montana; however, he has a preference for what kind of life should be led. With a close analysis of the text, it is demonstrated that “Joyas Voladores” is about the desire for a long and fulfilling life and how humans live based on their values and preference, through Doyle’s symbolic use of hummingbirds and blue whales. 

The first, and most thorough, example that Brian Doyle gives in his text is the hummingbird. He starts by listing the traits, characteristics, and the abilities of these creatures and continuously illustrates how fast the hummingbird’s heart beats, despite its small size. Doyle also examines that not only is the hummingbird’s heartbeat fast, but everything that the hummingbird is or does is rapid and swift. He speaks of their “immense ferocious metabolisms” and their “race-car hearts that eat oxygen at an eye-popping rate” (Doyle, 95). Throughout the text, readers continue to hear adjectives that describe how fast and fascinating a hummingbird is, until finally, Doyle begins to communicate the unfavorable side of life for these animals. He states that “The price of their ambition is death” (95) and that with being so speedy comes more heart attacks and heart-based injuries for hummingbirds than any other animal. Doyle says, “It’s expensive to fly. You burn out” (95); going so fast ultimately hurts the hummingbird because eventually its body will break down. Even an animal as capable as the hummingbird can’t live a long, yet hurried life, which is why they only live for about two years. With this symbolic example of the hummingbird, readers see that Brian Doyle doesn’t agree with the type of lifestyle that these animals live. He starts off by stating how talented and fascinating hummingbirds are, only to ultimately show that their fast character causes disaster and that the way these animals live is not the right way. He later describes what the right way of life is through the blue whale.

The blue whale, Brian Doyle’s second example, shows what he thinks is the right way of life because a longer life is equivalent to a more fulfilling life. And the longer a life, the more one can achieve, which is what makes it better than a hummingbird’s life. Doyle states that, “The biggest heart in the world is inside the blue whale” (Doyle, 95). A large heart is symbolic for an abundant amount of love and appreciation. Because blue whales live long lives and have large hearts, they are able to appreciate life moments thoroughly and without rush. By appreciating their lives, and not running through them, the blue whale is able to live more meaningfully. A meaningful life eventually leads to a life of fulfillment. Unlike the fast way in which hummingbirds live their lives, blue whales take the time to love and enjoy life moments, which in the end, Doyle states is what really matters.  

Doyle ends by relating these symbols to the lives of humans. He brings up the fact that each individual has the choice to live like a hummingbird or live like a whale. In essence, people can live fast lives or people can live full lives. However, it is obvious that Doyle prefers the longevity of a blue whale’s life and that is shown when he says, “… all hearts finally are bruised and scarred, scored and torn…” (96). No matter how fragile, every individual will get their heart broken. However, this is not an excuse to stop living. When a hummingbird’s heart aches, it dies. Yet, Doyle further explains that all hearts will at some point be repaired, whether it be through character or force (96). Hummingbirds are so fragile that they don’t give their hearts a chance to heal and become repaired. Doyle also explains, through several examples, that with a long life comes positive and negative moments, but nonetheless are moments to experience. These are the kinds of moments one can only experience with a long and fulfilling life, like the blue whale.

Brian Doyle’s thoughts about a long life versus a short life are clear through his examples of hummingbirds and blue whales as symbols for human lives. Although he starts off with connotations that seem positive with his example of the hummingbird, the readers quickly see it turn to a negative when he talks about how short-lived and fragile they are. With the blue whale example, the readers are able to see that what matters the most is appreciating what life gives them. The blue whale’s big heart shows that it appreciates and takes advantage of life’s experiences more than the hummingbird. His final thought is when the readers notice his preference for a long life. Doyle believes people are able to get more out of a long life if they follow the path of a blue whale, because he believes they are more worthwhile and more complete. Hummingbirds, although they have many capabilities, are only able to use those capabilities for a short period of time due to their quick lifespan. On the other hand, blue whales and humans have the ability to take life by the arm and really, thoroughly, live.