In the short story, “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett, the main character Sylvia is a little girl living and growing up in the wilderness with her grandmother Old Mrs. Tilley. In this story there is a blurring of the lines between humans and animals. The animals are not just animals in a story but possess those personalities and characteristics of people. Sometimes the animals mirror the main characters themselves to represent the relationship between them. So when a threat presents himself, who intends to kill and take the things that are already sacred then it evokes a feeling in us. Not only because it makes us desire to protect the animal but also because of those things or people in which they represent. The connection between the animals and the characters is intentional to emphasize the main character’s connection to the woods, wildlife and each other.
In the beginning, Sylvia finds the cow at the swampside and it is she that urges the old cow to come back home. The story tell us, “ Sylvia had only laughed when she came upon Mistress Moolly at the swamp-side, and urged her affectionately homeword with a twig of birch leaves. The old cow was not inclined to wander farther, she even turned in the right direction for once as they left the pasture, and stepped along the road …show more content…
As they approach the house, the cow moos at her, “cow gave a loud moo by way of explanation”(3). The cows mooing functions much like a signal or warning to their coming. Most importantly it is an attempt to communicate with Mrs.Tilley about what is going on or the places she has wandered off to on this day. It is interesting how the cow is communicating with the old woman as if they both spoke the same language. This point emphasizes that there is a connection between the cow and old Mrs. Tilley, a sense of understanding between the
In the beginning, Sylvia finds the cow at the swampside and it is she that urges the old cow to come back home. The story tell us, “ Sylvia had only laughed when she came upon Mistress Moolly at the swamp-side, and urged her affectionately homeword with a twig of birch leaves. The old cow was not inclined to wander farther, she even turned in the right direction for once as they left the pasture, and stepped along the road …show more content…
As they approach the house, the cow moos at her, “cow gave a loud moo by way of explanation”(3). The cows mooing functions much like a signal or warning to their coming. Most importantly it is an attempt to communicate with Mrs.Tilley about what is going on or the places she has wandered off to on this day. It is interesting how the cow is communicating with the old woman as if they both spoke the same language. This point emphasizes that there is a connection between the cow and old Mrs. Tilley, a sense of understanding between the