Table of ContentsIntroductionDiscussionAnalysis of the storyEvaluation of its significanceConclusionWorks CitedIntroduction "A White Heron" is a short story written by Sarah Orne Jewett and revolves around a young girl named Sylvia . She initially resided in the city with her parents, but later we see that she lives with her grandmother in the countryside to share her work, at least to some extent. This piece of literature illustrates the challenges the girl faced after meeting a bird hunter, which led her to a situation where she discovered her passion for her life in the newly settled countryside. The review of “A White Heron” would reveal Sylvia’s experiences in relation to her current situation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayDiscussionIt is important to clarify that this particular literary work can be criticized in light of reader response criticism, which is l 'one of literary criticism's theories for distinguishing the details that remain involved in it. Through this theory, the question of whether the reader has sufficiently recognized the meaning of the text can be properly answered. Based on this, it can be argued that the particular text (“A White Heron”) needs to be evaluated thoroughly to understand its true value. Story Analysis The story begins with the description of Sylvia residing with her grandmother in the countryside for a year. She is seen trying to adapt to the varied lifestyles of the country, as initially she lived with her parents in a noisy city, very different from the serene countryside. Sylvia helps her grandmother with some crafts, including finding the cow, Mistress Molly, and bringing her home. This can be understood from certain lines in the story, namely “A little girl was bringing home her cow, a laborious creature, dilatory, provocative in her behavior, but nevertheless a valued companion. They moved away from the western light and deep into the dark woods, but their feet knew the way” (Jewett 1). These lines illustrated not only Sylvia's duty but also the familiarity between the two of them regarding their return home. Considering this aspect, it could be inferred that Sylvia regularly performed her duty in this way and therefore knew the path leading through the woods well. These forest explorations thus transformed Sylvia into a country girl, who suddenly began to deeply love her new home. However, the story soon inflames the situation which brings situational complexes for Sylvia as one of those evenings, where she took the same path, she had ended up meeting a bird hunter, who kills birds to keep them in his collection. He had asked Sylvia for help, stating: “Speak up and tell me what your name is and if you think I can spend the night at your place and go out shooting early in the morning” (Jewett p.3). Following this investigation, Sylvia becomes alarmed and tries to imagine her grandmother's reaction when she sees Sylvia approaching their house with the stranger. Through this, the concern Sylvia had for her grandmother was briefly illustrated. It also meant the sudden fear that entered the mind during the first encounter of the hunter in the woods, while he was carrying a rifle with him. Contextually, she did not find him trustworthy at first instance, but she still provided him with assistance by allowing him to accompany her and even reside in their house for the night. Just after, when Sylvia and the hunter arearrived at her home, the grandmother allowed the hunter to spend a night. It is here that the grandmother becomes aware of the hunter's motive for visiting the woods, which was in fact to spot an exceptional white heron, residing in these woods so that it could be killed and added to her collection. He was also willing to offer ten dollars to anyone who helped him catch the heron. This made Sylvia dream all night about the nice things she could buy for herself and her grandmother if she got her hands on the money. Thus, it provides insight into the financial obstacles that existed in their lives. So the next morning Sylvia accompanied the hunter into the woods but was unable to find him. During this situation, Sylvia admired the hunter as she had not seen anyone similar to him until that day. However, we also see that she questions the real reason why he killed the birds he knew so well. Sylvia also trembled with each gunshot and felt that it would have been better if they had both visited the woods without the gun. The next day, Sylvia visited the woods alone so she could search for the heron's nest and surprise the hunter. After searching for a while, she reached the nest, overcoming all the obstacles, and after seeing the place, she began to think about the hunter's reaction upon learning of the surprise. However, after an hour, when she arrived home, she preferred to remain silent rather than answer the questions of her grandmother and the hunter. She didn't even say anything about the discovery she made an hour ago. Sylvia has just remembered the time she and the white heron experienced the sunrise together. By her silence, she proved that she had already chosen the life of the heron by remaining friends with the hunter. Evaluating its Meaning Here in this text, Jewett attempts to illustrate the heron as a symbolic element. The color white actually represents purity and thus reflects the virtue of nature, which remains distinct from any form of human interference. The end of the text, where Sylvia spares the life of the white heron, simply suggests that through this text, Jewett is establishing the inherent value associated with preserving nature. It also suggests that nature should be kept away from human intervention and violence. Nature must be elevated and therefore humans must understand that in any given situation it cannot be compromised. It can rightly be stated from the above analysis that "A White Heron" is a kind of story in which the protagonist is simply seen modifying her actions and realizing her passion for the woods and its inhabitants for reasons holding on to his meeting with a hunter. The theme illustrated in the text is that of self-discovery, in which Sylvia or the protagonist realizes the passion she possessed for the country she had moved to just a year ago. In the text it is seen that she has more knowledge about birds and this was also evident in the last part of the text when she had also seen the place where the heron lived. However, after realizing which she prefers, the life of a bird or friendship with a stranger, she instantly backs away and remains silent about her discovery. This directly suggests that Sylvia clearly understood her priorities and made the decision accordingly. Furthermore, it is important to clarify that the main conflict identified in this story is that of man versus nature, in which nature ultimately wins. Thus, the lesson that Jewett had attempted to describe through the text was successfully undertaken. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Sarah Orne. 1-3.