Throughout the late 19th century following the Industrial Revolution, society became focused on urban life and neglected the significance of rural life and the natural world. In “A White Heron” Sarah Orne Jewett, through Sylvia’s decision to protect the heron, contemplates the importance of nature and rural society. In particular, Jewett employs the cow grazing scene to relate the endearing and familiar affiliation that Sylvia has with the natural world. The hunter establishes a contrast to Sylvia’s relationship with nature and initially convinces her to accept his destructive view towards nature. When Sylvia climbs the tree to find the heron she unknowingly rediscovers and transcends her awareness of and association with nature. Sylvia’s final
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When following the hunter on his quest for the heron, he “gave her a jackknife” which she considered a great “treasure” (Jewett 685). The knife he gives Sylvia, considering the negative and violent connotation of knives, symbolizes his efforts to make her understand and adopt his way of viewing nature, which is through violence and killing. Since Sylvia considers the knife a “treasure” she tentatively and subconsciously accepts his way of perceiving nature. As Sylvia follows the hunter on his quest, “the woman’s heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love” (Jewett 686). Sylvia experiences her first feelings of attraction and the “woman’s heart,” which suggests the ability to fall in love, is awakened and she falls in love with the hunter. Sylvia says that “she could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much” but still “watched the young man with loving admiration” (Jewett 687). Although she does not comprehend why the hunter murders birds, her “loving admiration” and desire for his friendship and love allows her to overlook this trait and still desire his companionship and affection and observe him “with loving admiration.” This ultimately results in her decision to climb the tree to search for the heron and state that she welcomes the “triumph and delight and glory” that would follow …show more content…
Sylvia loves the hunter and wants to please him, but cannot “give it’s life away” after remembering “how the heron came flying through the golden air and how they watched the sea and the morning together” (Jewett 688). Sylvia does not tell the hunter the heron’s location because she is unwilling to betray the nature that she admires and is intimately connected to, symbolized when she and the heron share a moment watching the “sea and the morning together.” Thus, she finally realizes her close relationship to the natural world because even though she wants the hunter’s love and friendship, she will not sacrifice her connection to nature by actively contributing in its destruction. Sylvia says that “he can make them rich with money… they are poor now” and that she could not contemplate “how many wished-for treasures the ten dollars… would buy” (Jewett 688, 685). By not telling the hunter where the heron is, Sylvia implies that “wished-for treasures” and “being rich with money” are trivial and she would rather save the heron and preserve her connection to the nature she cherishes. Sylvia then goes on to say that “whatever treasures were lost to her, woodlands and summer-time remember. Bring your gifts and graces…to this lonely summer child” (Jewett 688). The “treasures,” “gifts,” and “graces” of nature are more
When following the hunter on his quest for the heron, he “gave her a jackknife” which she considered a great “treasure” (Jewett 685). The knife he gives Sylvia, considering the negative and violent connotation of knives, symbolizes his efforts to make her understand and adopt his way of viewing nature, which is through violence and killing. Since Sylvia considers the knife a “treasure” she tentatively and subconsciously accepts his way of perceiving nature. As Sylvia follows the hunter on his quest, “the woman’s heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love” (Jewett 686). Sylvia experiences her first feelings of attraction and the “woman’s heart,” which suggests the ability to fall in love, is awakened and she falls in love with the hunter. Sylvia says that “she could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much” but still “watched the young man with loving admiration” (Jewett 687). Although she does not comprehend why the hunter murders birds, her “loving admiration” and desire for his friendship and love allows her to overlook this trait and still desire his companionship and affection and observe him “with loving admiration.” This ultimately results in her decision to climb the tree to search for the heron and state that she welcomes the “triumph and delight and glory” that would follow …show more content…
Sylvia loves the hunter and wants to please him, but cannot “give it’s life away” after remembering “how the heron came flying through the golden air and how they watched the sea and the morning together” (Jewett 688). Sylvia does not tell the hunter the heron’s location because she is unwilling to betray the nature that she admires and is intimately connected to, symbolized when she and the heron share a moment watching the “sea and the morning together.” Thus, she finally realizes her close relationship to the natural world because even though she wants the hunter’s love and friendship, she will not sacrifice her connection to nature by actively contributing in its destruction. Sylvia says that “he can make them rich with money… they are poor now” and that she could not contemplate “how many wished-for treasures the ten dollars… would buy” (Jewett 688, 685). By not telling the hunter where the heron is, Sylvia implies that “wished-for treasures” and “being rich with money” are trivial and she would rather save the heron and preserve her connection to the nature she cherishes. Sylvia then goes on to say that “whatever treasures were lost to her, woodlands and summer-time remember. Bring your gifts and graces…to this lonely summer child” (Jewett 688). The “treasures,” “gifts,” and “graces” of nature are more