A White Heron Analysis

Morality’s Hold On Men: The Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett’s “A White Heron”

Mankind’s effect on nature and nature’s effect on mankind has always been a debatable topic in society and this controversial topic almost always makes people question man’s precarious morality. Being that Jewett grew up in rural New England her story depicts her personality and love for nature by depicting herself into her main character, Sylvia. Sylvia’s passion for her environment meets no bounds until her morality is put to the test making her choose between man and nature.Jewett uses her story to show how morality is put into question between life and death.Through Sarah Orne Jewett’s implementation of symbolism, she illustrates how human nature is influences their

Sylvia is faced with a predicament of whether to betray nature and help her new “male friend” The author portrayed the white heron as Sylvia's innocence.Telling the hunter the whereabouts of the Heron would therefore show that Sylvia goes against her morality and lose her innocence.Sylvia only being nine years of age has to make this life or death decision.This shows that from a young age children’s morals are put to the test. Sylvia feels pressured by the intimidating hunter and his offer of money makes her wonder if she should reveal the Heron’s location “...he gave her a jack-knife,which she thought as a great treasure as if she were a desert-islander” this so called “kind gesture” of the hunter shows that he is trying to demoralize her and try to slowly take away her innocence by giving her something that can harm the very creatures she admire. Her innocence and how naive she is can be seen in that very line how she thinks of it as a “desert-islander” The fact that she doesn’t think about doing any harm with it shows her true purity and