Sarah Orne Jewett’s short story of a young girl named Sylvia, who must make an important decision in the midst of finding her place in her new found home. Jewett sets the stage for the events to unfold with a bit of mystery and magic. There are undertones of ecofeminism, romanticism, and heroism, which the story works through to lead the protagonist to her final decision that will ultimately shape her future, to become the protector of her new natural home. Jewett begins the story against a backdrop
Sarah Orne Jewett was an inspiring, unique author of her time. Her upbringing introduced her to the outdoors and allowed her to develop a passion for nature and being an independent woman. One of her short stories, A White Heron, incorporates these passions of hers but also reflects on her childhood. This story also illustrates the pressures a person can face when faced with new relationships. Sarah Orne Jewett takes her personal life experiences and beliefs to influence the main character, Sylvia
The Rural Privilege in A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" is a brilliant story of an inquisitive young girl named Sylvia. Jewett's narrative describes Sylvia's experiences within the mystical and inviting woods of New England. I think a central theme in "A White Heron" is the dramatization of the clash between two competing sets of values in late nineteenth-century America: industrial and rural. Sylvia is the main character of the story. We can follow her
Heron” is a classic short story written by Sarah Orne Jewett. In this short story, nature is an essential key element to theme. The reader can also relate in many ways to the main character, Sylvia. Sylvia and the reader have many similar thoughts. For instance, one way they can relate is how they both love nature and think of it as their companion. However, while they have a love for humans, it is to a lesser extent. The author, Sarah Orne Jewett, was born on September 3, 1849 and died June 24,
century, American short story writer Sarah Orne Jewett earned her part in the local color literary movement. In doing so, Jewett writes with a unique style: creating larger-than-life characters, naive narrators, tiny details, and oddities of all sorts. The culmination of these features are used by Jewett to expose busy and primarily middle-class readers to the lives of two young women in the short story “Deephaven Cronies”. Going deeper than the text, Jewett delineates the structure of social class
When people really take their time to look at the beautiful world around them, and take it in, it is hard not to be amazed. “A White Heron,” a classic short story written by Sarah Orne Jewett, uses nature as an essential key element to the theme. Sylvia, the main character, is very relatable. In fact, the story is written in such a way that the reader would likely share similar thoughts with Sylvia. For instance, the reader and Sylvia both love nature and think of it as their companion. However,
her short story “A White Heron,” Sarah Orne Jewett is able to dive into the sexuality of her main character Sylvia. Though seemingly innocent on the surface, the reader might interpret the hunt for the elusive white heron as Sylvia’s discovery of herself and her sexuality. Though sexuality may seem like a mature topic for such a young character, it is irresponsible to completely ignore it. Especially in a story with innuendos that rival a romance novel. Jewett uses sexual undertones in the search for
"Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it" (Baldwin). All experiences spring out of innocence. Sarah Orne Jewett expresses this through the story “The White Heron.” She uses the story to show how easily innocence can be influenced. "For Jewett, it seems to have been a personal 'myth' that expressed her own experience and the experience of other women in the nineteenth century who had similar gifts, aspirations, and choices" (Griffith). Her personal experiences include her living
In A White Heron , the author, Sarah Orne Jewett, describes a young girl who interacts with a number of elements that cause her to discover who she is and what she stands for. Sylvia, being only nine years old and coming from a large family from the demanding city life , is moved to her grandmother’s remote farm where she finds herself to be comfortably isolated from the rest of the world. This, in fact, suits her lack of social ability, and so she finds herself becoming one with nature: both the
adapt with society that surrounds us. Those rules are more often found in urban cities than villages where nature has more power. This presents an era called Transcendentalism, which is easily found in the story of a White Heron written by Sarah Orne Jewett. The story highlights the power of nature over human society. This little expedition starts on an evening of June, with a young innocent pale girl named Sylvia. Sylvia used to live in a crowded manufacturing town, but after eight years unsatisfied
Sarah Orne Jewett’s short story "A White Heron” is a beautiful realistic narration set in Maine, at the end of the nineteenth century. A young girl, Sylvia, is the heroine in a quest journey. As in traditional stories in literature, she follows what Dan Bronzite reports as "The Twelve Stages of the Hero's Journey". She will leave what had become her usual world to enter an extraordinary one full of wonders but also scary, to wind up again in her ordinary world but as a changed person. Sylvia’s voyage
Sarah Orne Jewett began writing at an early age as she was inspired by, The Pearl of Orr’s Island written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Jewett began writing in the style of the author of her inspiration and thus fell in love with the style of writing that encapsulated nearly every author of her time, local color writing. Local color writing is a style of writing that became popular just after the Civil War. Many writers began writing with a focus on the way of life and nature in their direct surrounding
prominent feature in history. As a result, much of the environment was destroyed to make room for factories and the growth of population. Nature is an important part of human life; helping to make peace with yourself and define your morals. Sarah Orne Jewett, born in 1849, chose nature over man by deciding to not get married, and instead living with her friend and enjoying her surroundings. Growing up around people that worked in
Critical Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett's Short Story "A White Heron" Set in an isolated portion of Maine, Sarah Orne Jewett's short story "A White Heron" revolves around conflict, a difficult choice a nine-year-old must make which will lead to her losing a new friend. It is the story of a lonely nine-year-old girl name Sylvia who lives in the Maine woods with her grandmother, Mrs. Tilley. As the story progresses Sylvia met a young and appealing ornithologist, often named as "The Hunter", who is in
of faith in God, what becomes of morality? This essay will examine how Emily Dickinson, Sarah Orne Jewett, Henry James and Mark Twain wrote literature in this age coupled with war, inhumanity and despair in God. This essay will show that: (1) Dickinson destroys any reliance on the Bible and a possibility of knowing God, but argues that one should instead praise Nature, which is tangible; (2) Jewett eliminates the omniscient narrator (or God-like figure) in The Country of the Poited Firs , and
In the short story, “A White Heron”, by Sarah Orne Jewett, there is a character that is being introduced named Sylvia, who lives on a farm with her grandmother. Even though she just moved from the city, she enjoys the farm life way more than the city life. Sylvia hears a whistle as she walks her cow back home. She noticed it was the stranger, also known as the hunter. He was carrying a gun, hoping to find a rare bird to kill known as the white heron. He asks Sylvia if she can help him find the bird
In Sarah Orne Jewett’s short story, The White Heron, the protagonist is a young girl named Sylvia. Sylvia is nine years old and still very much a child, but during the course of the story she begins to get her first awareness of her womanhood and femininity. She experiences her first sexual attraction to a male. While this awareness may only be present in her subconscious, she is conflicted and vacillates between her love of nature, and increasing interest in the young visitor. This confusion is
“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett share many similarities. One of these similarities includes Young Goodman Brown and Sylvia’s innocence. Upon entering the woods, they meet a stranger who tries to steal their innocence away. Although these strangers are different people, they offer Young Goodman Brown and Sylvia alluring things, which come at a cost. The price is their innocence. There are many parallels in these two stories, but ultimately Sylvia
Feminism And Its Connection With Sexuality In “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett the character of Sylvia is a young girl removed from the restrictive and uncomfortable town, who revels in the joys of the freedom of farm and country life. A hunter visits her world of natural innocence and wishes to use Sylvia’s knowledge of the bird’s life to help him track and kill a white heron for his collection in return for money. Thus causing a change in the young girls’ monotonous daily routine and awakening
a child she was never " inclined to wander further " (Jewett 93 ) , She sought amusement in a " cow 's prank as an intelligent attempt to play hide and seek " (Jewett 93 ) . Her playful companion who accompanies her through the trail back home symbolizes Sylvia 's youthfulness , with a desire to explore . On the wooded path back home they are " horror-stricken " (Jewett 94 ) by a " boy 's whistle , determined , and somewhat aggressive " (Jewett 95 ) and attempts to hide like how a young child would