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A White Heron By Sarah Orne Jewett

776 Words4 Pages

”A White Heron”, a short tale by Sarah Orne Jewett, is about a young girl named Silvia who lives with her grandmother in the rural areas of New England. The conflict between humans and nature is one of the main struggles in this short narrative. As the story progresses, Sylvia is revealed to have a strong connection to the natural world since she spends her days exploring the woods and studying the animals that live there. Even when Sylvia is said to be around nine to ten years old, she is portrayed as being one with nature, with the ability to recognize and distinguish between various bird species in the wilderness. Her relationship with nature was later tested as a young hunter approached her, requesting shelter for the night and seeking …show more content…

In this story, imagery is strongly used to illustrate the struggle between humanity and nature. Jewett depicts the natural world and its beauty in rich details, such as “the woods were already filled with shadows one June evening, just before eight o’clock, though a bright sunset still glimmered faintly among the trunks of the trees.” (Jewett, 408) The young hunter is a representation of the brutality of human nature, which is contrasted with the beauty of nature described by Jewett. The author utilizes the white heron as a representation of the purity of nature, which is threatened by the young man’s mission to hunt down the heron. The suspense in the story is brought about by Sylvia's struggle between her loyalty to the natural world and her desire to support the …show more content…

She was originally portrayed as innocent and naive, but she was forced to make a tough decision when the hunter offered money in exchange for knowledge. She struggles mainly due to the reward the hunter was offering and started questioning her ties and values with nature. Ultimately, she decided to safeguard the bird and conceal its location. This story is complicated by the fact that the protagonist, who was only nine at the time, had to make such a difficult decision. Her choice to safeguard nature is unusual for her age and that’s what makes the narrative unique. The author’s choice to stress Sylvia emphasizes how society and personal wants can affect a young person’s moral

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