As he watches the waves roll in, Shea quietly says, "Just look at that Helen, isn't it beautiful?" Almost immediately after he says this, a small hummingbird flies right up next to his face and flits around for a moment looking right at him, as if it's trying to get his attention and keep it. It doesn't stay long, though, and when it leaves, a smile widens across Shea's face, who has finally found peace in his final moments. The "1883" Reddit community naturally began speculating on what this scene and the bird itself mean.
A prevalent theory is that the hummingbird symbolizes someone visiting Shea from beyond the grave, with a popular name being Helen. "I'm assuming the hummingbird is his wife," commented u/drawdelove, sharing a theory backed up by the fact that he had spoken about his Helen just moments before, and that his entire journey was really for her. u/Heavy-Office3112 appeared to agree with that theory, writing "The hummingbird was Helen right???"
It could be that the hummingbird is indeed Shea's wife, who comes to see him at the end of their long journey to Oregon. After all, seeing what was supposed to be their adventure through to the end was Shea's driving purpose all along, so it makes thematic sense. Still, other fans seem to believe that it's actually an entirely different deceased character.
