Chesnutt And Jewett: A Literary Analysis

Many authors believe that they creative unique stories, incomparable to any other stories written, and while they may not be verbatim, most stories actually have a common theme that connects them. Charles W. Chesnutt and Sarah Orne Jewett demonstrate a common theme buried amongst a story that differs in numerous ways from other tales in their short stories “The Goophered Grapevine” and “A White Heron,” respectively. While the differences between the two stories may be more obvious, the theme of regionalism connects the author’s pieces to display the desire for a simpler time. Subsequently, the stereotypical natures of the characters may seem to be evidence for the pieces being different, however, these natures aid in depicting the shared …show more content…
In Chesnutt’s piece, the stranger is a Yankee who persuades the owner of the plantation to alter his way of farming to yield more product. However, the Yankee’s adjustment did not help, but hindered the owner’s ability to yield grapes. Therefore, the modification from the owner’s original system of harvesting grapes to the Yankee’s industrialized method that involves a “noo wine-press” demonstrates regionalism because of the failure that the Yankee’s assistance caused. Since the owner’s original method of harvesting grapes worked better that the Yankee’s, this situation displays the regionalistic belief that the older way of doing something may in fact be the better way. Likewise, Sylvia and Mrs. Tilley are visited by a stranger who confesses that he is an ornithologist in search for a specific bird to kill, stuff, and preserve (Jewett 529). Even though Sylvia learns exactly where the ornithologist can find this bird, Sylvia does not reveal the location because she values the animal’s life and right to live peacefully in its natural habitat. While one may argue that allowing one ornithologist to obtain one of every animal would not change the region, the reality is that if one ornithologist finds success, many with the similar method for murder will soon follow. This could alter the region by endangering the animal’s species and by destroying the land that the hunters would be marching through. Nevertheless, Sylvia understands that the change that may occur because of the modernized method of appreciating the animals is negative and should be avoided. Sylvia’s admiration for the old method of valuing the animals and her resistance to adhere to a new method demonstrates regionalism. Overall, whether the characters allow a change to occur or not, the presence of an invading stranger and the