literary analysis essay a white heron

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Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett’s A White Heron

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on April 26, 2022

This frequently anthologized Bildungsroman features Sylvia, a nine-year-old girl whose very name evokes the woods that she loves, and where she is walking when we first encounter her. She meets an attractive young man, a hunter and an ornithologist, who tries to persuade her to show him the nest of the white heron that he would like to add to his collection of stuffed birds. Her decision not to do so has provoked a wide variety of interpretations. The story can be read on numerous levels—as a study in respecting and protecting nature, as a sensitively depicted local color story, as a reimagining of the Demeter-Persephone myth or fairy tale, or as a fictional rendering of Sarah Orne Jewett ’s own life, both as an artist and as a single woman.

Perhaps because the story is so clearly sympathetic to protecting the environment, many readers feel puzzled and disturbed by the significance of the hunter himself, who seems to represent more than just a destroyer of forest creatures: A disturbing sexual element, an intrusive sense of violence and aggression, appears to lie beneath his cloak of pleasant friendliness. Jewett implies strong gender issues in this tale. Viewing his role as that of a metaphorical rapist serves both to illuminate Sylvia’s intuitive fears of men and to deepen the environmentalist theme. Early in the story, Mrs. Tilley, Sylvia’s grandmother, reveals that Sylvia is “afraid of folks” (648). As Sylvia walks through the woods, she recalls a “great red-faced boy” (648) who used to chase her and frighten her when she lived in town; this memory foreshadows the very next sentence in which she hears the “aggressive” whistle that heralds her encounter with the young man with the gun. He immediately asks her whether he can spend the night at her house and “go gunning” in the morning. Sylvia’s confusion mirrors that of many young girls who meet a stranger: Juxtaposed to her instinctive fear of him is her attraction to his veneer of gallantry, kindness, and sympathy.

When she agrees to take him to the house where she and her grandmother live, the man succeeds in penetrating the “hermitage” (649) of the two women. He proves insensitive to Mrs. Tilley’s “hint[s] of family sorrows” (650), instead dominating the conversation and boasting that, since boyhood, he has been killing and collecting birds that he stuffs and preserves as trophies of his manliness. The narrator repeatedly refers to his gun and knife, phallic images that combine with his offering Sylvia money if she will sacrifice the white bird that some critics view as a symbol of her virginity and innocence. He charms her, and her fear subsides, giving way to the “woman’s heart” (651) asleep somewhere within the young girl. Yet images of seduction give way to those of rape when Sylvia climbs the tree, views the heron’s nest, and climbs back down with her dress smeared, torn, and tattered; they are reinforced with the image of the dead birds “stained and wet with blood” (654) near the end of the story. Ultimately, Sylvia decides she must protect the heron at all costs, even though it means losing the man’s friendship.

While the narrator ends the story by predicting the loneliness of Sylvia’s future, nothing in the story suggests, in Ann Charters’s words, “that she would have been better off having sold herself for ten dollars and a whistle” (Charters 85). The many ways to view the ending—from biographical, Freudian, mythic, or environmental perspectives—only add to the depths of the story waiting for each new reader to plumb.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Cary, Richard. Sarah Orne Jewett. Albany, N.Y.: New Collections University Press, 1962. Charters, Ann. Resources for Teaching Major Writers of Short Fiction. Boston: St. Martin’s, 1993. Donovan, Josephine L. Sarah Orne Jewett. New York: Ungar, 1980. Jewett, Sarah Orne. “The White Heron.” In Major Writers of Short Fiction: Stories and Commentaries. Edited by Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford Books-St. Martin’s, 1993. Nagel, Gwen. Critical Essays on Jewett. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1984.

“A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett: A Critical Analysis

“A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett first appeared in print in 1886, included within the collection “A White Heron and Other Stories.”

Introduction: “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

Table of Contents

“A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett first appeared in print in 1886, included within the collection “A White Heron and Other Stories.” The story exemplifies Jewett’s signature style, characterized by a blend of meticulous realism and subtle symbolism. It delves into the complex inner world of a young protagonist caught between loyalty to a visitor and a burgeoning connection to the natural world she holds dear. Jewett’s masterful prose brings the idyllic Maine landscape vividly to life, while the central conflict invites readers to engage with the moral compass of a young mind navigating a difficult choice.

Main Events: “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

A Young Girl Finds Purpose in Nature: Sylvia, a young girl from a crowded city, finds a new life and deep sense of belonging amidst the natural beauty of her grandmother’s rural farm.
Connection to the Wild: Sylvia develops a strong bond with nature. She tames squirrels, understands the rhythms of the forest, and even feels a sense of kinship with the creatures that inhabit it.
A Chance Encounter A friendly young ornithologist arrives at the farm while lost on a hunting expedition. He seeks a rare white heron to add to his collection.
Sylvia’s Knowledge of the Heron: Sylvia, through her intimate connection with the woods, knows the secret location of the white heron’s nest.
A Tempting Offer: The ornithologist offers Sylvia a significant sum of money ($10, a very large amount at the time) if she’ll reveal the heron’s location.
A Deepening Bond: Sylvia spends the day with the ornithologist, learning about birds and becoming enchanted by his knowledge and charm.
Dream of Possibility: Sylvia dreams of a different future – one filled with the treasures the money could buy, and perhaps a blossoming affection for the young man.
Pre-Dawn Mission: Eager to be the hero and change her own life, Sylvia climbs the great pine at dawn, hoping to find the heron’s nest before anyone else.
Moment of Discovery: In a breathtaking scene, Sylvia witnesses the majestic heron soaring near its nest amidst the dazzling sunrise.
An Impossible Choice: Sylvia faces an agonizing conflict between her loyalty to the wild creature and the life-changing opportunity the money represents.
Silent Loyalty: When confronted by the eager ornithologist and her grandmother, Sylvia chooses to protect the heron’s secret, even if it means sacrificing a brighter future for herself.
Haunting Regret: Sylvia feels a sense of loss over the unfulfilled possibilities, hearing the ornithologist’s lingering whistle as a reminder of what could have been.
Betrayal of the Wild: While still mourning the lost opportunity, Sylvia experiences additional pain when the ornithologist shoots other birds, starkly reminding her of the violence inherent in his pursuits.
Nature’s Comfort: Despite the difficult choice, Sylvia ultimately finds acceptance and solace in the natural world that has become her true home.
Enduring Theme: The story underscores the profound impact of the natural world on a young life, as well as the difficult moral dilemmas that can arise when personal dreams clash with one’s deepest values.

Literary Devices: “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

Characterization: “a white heron” by sarah orne jewett, major characters:.

Sylvia: The protagonist, a young girl who has recently moved from the city to her grandmother’s farm.
Example: “Sylvia, a wistful child with a heart that beat fast with pleasure…” (Paragraph 1) This quote highlights Sylvia’s curiosity and connection to nature.
Example: “The stranger…stood his gun beside the door, and dropped a heavy game-bag beside it…” (Paragraph 3) This detail portrays the ornithologist’s profession and purpose for being in the rural area.

Minor Characters:

Example: “The good woman suspected that Sylvia loitered occasionally on her own account…there never was such a child for straying about out-of-doors…” (Paragraph 1) This quote reveals Mrs. Tilley’s awareness of Sylvia’s independent spirit.
Example: “The companions followed the shady wood-road, the cow taking slow steps, and the child very fast ones…” (Paragraph 1) This detail depicts Mistress Moolly as Sylvia’s constant companion despite their different paces.

Characterization Techniques:

Direct Description: The author directly tells us about the characters’ traits and personalities. (Examples above)
Speech: The way characters speak reveals their personality and background. (e.g., The ornithologist’s use of hunting terms)
Actions: The characters’ choices and actions show their values and motivations. (e.g., Sylvia’s decision to protect the heron)
Thoughts: In limited third-person narration, we get glimpses into Sylvia’s thoughts and feelings. (e.g., Sylvia’s internal conflict about the money)

Major Themes: “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

Connection to Nature: The story emphasizes Sylvia’s deep bond with the natural world.
Example: Sylvia’s exploration of the woods, her connection with the animals (taming squirrels, feeling kinship with the heron), and her sense of belonging in the rural environment all showcase this theme. (Paragraph 1)
Example: Sylvia’s internal struggle between revealing the heron’s location for money (representing civilization’s influence) and protecting the creature (representing her connection to nature) highlights this conflict.
Example: The temptation of the $10 offered by the ornithologist creates a moral dilemma for Sylvia. She must weigh her own desires against her inherent respect for the natural world.
Example: Choosing to protect the heron demonstrates Sylvia’s loyalty to her values and her connection to nature, even though it means sacrificing a potential financial gain.

These themes are central to the story’s plot and character development. They explore the impact of nature on human lives, the consequences of human actions on the environment, and the moral choices we face as we grow and mature.

Writing Style: “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

Local Color: Jewett is considered a master of local color , a literary movement that focused on capturing the unique character and details of a specific region. In this story, she vividly portrays the natural beauty of the Maine woods and the lifestyle of rural New Englanders.
Simple and Direct Language: Jewett uses clear, concise prose that is easy to read. She avoids overly complex sentences or flowery language, allowing the story and characters to shine through.
Vivid Descriptions: Despite the simplicity of her language, Jewett paints evocative pictures with her words. She describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural world, creating a strong sense of place for the reader. (e.g., “The twilight moths struck softly against her like feathers”)
Third-Person Limited Point of View: The story is told in third-person limited point of view, primarily focusing on Sylvia’s thoughts and feelings. This allows the reader to connect with Sylvia and understand her internal struggles.
Subtlety and Emotional Nuance: Jewett excels at conveying complex emotions and moral dilemmas with a light touch. She doesn’t overstate Sylvia’s feelings, but allows the reader to infer them through her actions and internal monologue.
Focus on Dialogue: The dialogue in the story feels natural and realistic, revealing the characters’ personalities and motivations.

Literary Theories and Interpretation: “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

Topics, questions and thesis statements: “a white heron” by sarah orne jewett, short questions/answers about “a white heron” by sarah orne jewett.

Question 1: What is the primary conflict in the short story “A White Heron”?

Answer: The primary conflict in “A White Heron” is an internal one within Sylvia. She is a young girl deeply connected to nature, yet she is tempted by a handsome young ornithologist with the promise of a monetary reward if she guides him to a rare white heron he desperately seeks. This creates an intense struggle between her love for the natural world and her desire to escape the poverty she knows.

Question 2: Who is the protagonist of the story, and what are her key characteristics?

Answer: The protagonist is Sylvia, a nine-year-old girl living on her grandmother’s farm. Her key characteristics include:

Deep Connection to Nature: Sylvia finds more comfort in the woods than in town; she feels a kinship with animals and possesses an intimate understanding of the natural world.

Shyness: She is initially timid around the young ornithologist, demonstrating her introverted nature.

Loyalty and Compassion: These values ultimately win out when she chooses to protect the heron’s secret location, highlighting her strong moral compass.

Question 3: What is the significance of the white heron in the story?

Answer: The white heron symbolizes:

The Beauty and Purity of Nature: The white heron’s rarity and elusiveness represent the untouched beauty of the wild, which Sylvia holds sacred.

Sylvia’s Connection to Nature: Sylvia’s discovery of the heron’s nest highlights her unique capacity to understand and commune with the natural world.

A Choice: The heron becomes a symbol of the difficult choice Sylvia must make—between remaining loyal to nature or betraying it for material gain.

Question 4: What is the story’s central theme?

Answer: The central theme of “A White Heron” is the conflict between the preservation of nature and the temptation of material gain and external validation. The story explores the idea that true loyalty to oneself and one’s values may sometimes mean foregoing more tangible rewards

Literary Works Similar to “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

The Awakening by Kate Chopin: Like “A White Heron,” this novella explores the conflict between human desires and the natural world. Set in Louisiana, it follows the journey of Edna Pontellier as she seeks freedom and self-discovery amidst societal constraints and expectations.
“Walden” by Henry David Thoreau: Thoreau’s classic work is a meditation on simple living in natural surroundings. It reflects on the beauty and simplicity of nature and the importance of living deliberately and in harmony with the environment.
My Ántonia by Willa Cather: This novel captures the beauty and challenges of life on the American frontier. Through the eyes of Jim Burden, the story explores the bond between settlers and the land, as well as the immigrant experience and the resilience of the human spirit.
“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane: This short story, based on Crane’s own experience, follows four men stranded at sea in a small boat. It reflects on themes of fate, existentialism, and humanity’s struggle against the indifferent forces of nature.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Set in early 20th-century Florida, this novel tells the story of Janie Crawford’s journey to self-discovery and empowerment. Like “A White Heron,” it explores themes of nature, femininity, and the search for identity in a changing world.

Quotes from “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett

A Summary and Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett’s ‘A White Heron’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘A White Heron’ is one of the best-known short stories by the American writer Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909). Published in 1886 in the collection A White Heron and Other Stories , the story is about a young girl who is approached by a hunter who offers her money if she will divulge the location of a rare white heron he wants to shoot.

Plot summary

Sylvia is a young girl who lives in the woods with her grandmother, Mrs Tilley, in Maine. On a June evening, she is driving home a cow, which she has been out looking for. We learn that Sylvia loves to wander in the woods, loitering and ‘straying’ before coming home. Sylvia had lived with her parents in a crowded city for the first eight years of her life, but enjoys life in the country with her grandmother. However, Sylvia is, according to her grandmother, afraid of people, and much prefers the company of the animals, like the cow, which is her ‘companion’.

As she is walking home, she hears a whistling sound, and meets a tall, handsome young man carrying a gun. He asks her for directions towards the road, and she tells him it is quite a distance away. He tells her he has been hunting birds and managed to get lose, and he then asks if he can accompany her home, and spend the night at her farm.

Sylvia reluctantly leads the stranger to the farm where she lives with her grandmother. Mrs Tilley is happy to play the hostess and give him a bed for the night, and some milk to drink. The man tells them that he is an ornithologist and has been out hunting for birds to add to his collection of stuffed specimens.

When he discovers that Sylvia – who, according to her grandmother, takes after her uncle, Dan – knows her way around the woods, he wonders if she would show him where he might find a rare white heron which he plans on adding to his collection. But Sylvia, who is watching a toad while he is talking, doesn’t fully hear what he’s saying, until he mentions the white heron. He offers them ten dollars if she will show him where to find it.

The next day, Sylvia goes out with the stranger, walking through the woods together. Sylvia is careful not to lead the way, and, because of her natural shyness, barely speaks to him. However, as they walk together she relaxes in his company, but when he starts shooting birds out of the trees, she is horrified.

Something is being awakened in her. When the evening comes, they begin the walk home without having seen the white heron. At night, Sylvia cannot sleep because she is thinking about how to give the stranger what he wants. Before dawn she heads out to a ‘huge tree’ and climbs it expertly, looking out at the distant sea. Then, finally, she sees the white heron in its nest.

She goes home, but when she’s asked about it, she doesn’t tell the stranger where he can find the white heron he seeks. He leaves the farm, and the narrator praises the bond Sylvia shares with nature, while calling her ‘lonely’ – because the first true friend she had made has gone away and left her.

Sarah Orne Jewett’s story is often read as a kind of allegory, but precisely what it is an allegory for can be answered in two different, but subtly interlinked, ways. Some people view ‘A White Heron’ as a story about taking care of nature, and regard Jewett’s tale as almost an early work about conservation: the rare (almost endangered) white heron is saved from being hunted and killed by the kindly action of Sylvia, who refuses to give up the bird in order to please her male friend.

But this ‘male friend’ also raises the possibility of a second way of viewing the story, and some critics and readers see ‘A White Heron’ as being more about Sylvia’s coming of age and her awakening of romantic love. She is only nine years old, of course, so things are subtler and more platonic than they would be with, say, an adolescent protagonist, but Jewett provides a series of revealing symbolic details which support such an interpretation.

This male friend who arrives is someone with whom Sylvia, in time, comes to feel relaxed and comfortable, despite her shyness. As Jewett’s third-person narrator tells us, ‘the woman’s heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love.’ Something has been awakened in her by the arrival of the male stranger, who shares with Sylvia an interest in the birds of the forest.

But there’s a crucial difference, of course. To Sylvia, those birds, like her family cow, are companions and friends; to him, they are merely trophies to be stuffed and mounted in his house. He is a hunter, suggesting a predatory manner which extends, at least symbolically, beyond the birds of the forest. His gun and knife can both be viewed as phallic symbols, and he presumptuously invites himself (or as good as) to Sylvia’s home as soon as he meets her, and later offers money in return for the whereabouts of the white heron.

The heron, too, can be interpreted as a symbol: its whiteness represents Sylvia’s own childhood innocence and perhaps, even, her virginity, since whiteness is associated with purity . In refusing to give up the heron to the male hunter, we might say, Sylvia is also refusing to give up her childhood innocence, and her virginity, to a man. The fact that he was willing to pay Sylvia money for the white heron is obviously suggestive in this connection, given what the heron can be said to symbolise.

There are fairy-tale aspects to ‘A White Heron’, with its woodland setting and its echoes of Little Red Riding Hood : the young girl, the grandmother, the male threat which interposes itself into their idyllic world. So the male hunter’s significance is almost archetypal: he could be said to prefigure some of Angela Carter ’s later predatory male figures in her reworkings of classic fairy tales (including Red Riding Hood), almost a century later.

In the last analysis, then, ‘A White Heron’ has two clear, interrelated themes: the loss of innocence and the dawning of romantic love, and the love and care for nature which Sylvia embodies. In choosing to give up the latter in pursuit of the former, Sylvia makes the decision to remain ‘lonely’, at least for the time being, without any ‘human friend’ now the stranger has departed.

Her natural affinity with the woods and its creatures, including the heron, is underscored not only by her name (Sylvia is derived from the Latin silva , meaning ‘wood’), but even by the way she climbs the tree from which she spies the heron: she has, the narrator tells us, ‘bare feet and fingers, that pinched and held like bird’s claws to the monstrous ladder reaching up, up, almost to the sky itself.’ It is as if she is part-bird herself, at one with the forest.

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A White Heron

Sarah orne jewett.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Sarah Orne Jewett's A White Heron . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

A White Heron: Introduction

A white heron: plot summary, a white heron: detailed summary & analysis, a white heron: themes, a white heron: quotes, a white heron: characters, a white heron: symbols, a white heron: literary devices, a white heron: theme wheel, brief biography of sarah orne jewett.

Historical Context of A White Heron

Other books related to a white heron.

Full Title: A White Heron
Where Written: Maine
When Published: 1886
Literary Period: Realism, Regionalism
Genre: Short Story, Romanticism mixed with Realism, Regional Fiction
Setting: Rural Maine
Climax: Sylvia witnesses the white heron
Antagonist: The threat of industrialization
Point of View: Third Person

Extra Credit for A White Heron

Boston Marriage: After the death of her friend and publisher James Thomas Fields, Jewett lived for years with his widow, Anne. This was a type of partnership often called a “Boston Marriage,” a term popularized in the late 1800s to describe two women who lived together and financially and emotionally supported each other independent of any man.

Arthritis: Jewett lived with rheumatoid arthritis since childhood and her father took her on long walks in the country in order to relieve her pain. These walks introduced her to both the beauty of New England’s natural environment and the rich culture of her rural community, two major influences on her stories.

Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — A White Heron — Literary Criticism Of A White Heron By Sarah Orne Jewett

Literary Criticism of a White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett

Categories: A White Heron American Literature Literary Criticism

About this sample

Words: 1418 |

Published: Aug 6, 2021

Words: 1418 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Introduction, analysis of the story, evaluation of its significance, works cited.

Jewett, Sarah Orne. A White Heron and Other Stories. Courier Corporation, 2012
Raj, P. Prayer Elmo. 'Text And Meaning in Stanely Fish’s Reader-Response Criticism.' Cognitive Discourses International Multidisciplinary Journal, vol.1, no.3, 2013, pp. 1-3.

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Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett's A White Heron
Home › Literature › Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett's A White Heron. Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett's A White Heron By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on April 26, 2022. This frequently anthologized Bildungsroman features Sylvia, a nine-year-old girl whose very name evokes the woods that she loves, and where she is walking when we first encounter her.
"A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett: A Critical Analysis
Literary Works Similar to "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett. The Awakening by Kate Chopin: Like "A White Heron," this novella explores the conflict between human desires and the natural world. Set in Louisiana, it follows the journey of Edna Pontellier as she seeks freedom and self-discovery amidst societal constraints and expectations.
A Summary and Analysis of Sarah Orne Jewett's 'A White Heron'
In the last analysis, then, 'A White Heron' has two clear, interrelated themes: the loss of innocence and the dawning of romantic love, and the love and care for nature which Sylvia embodies. In choosing to give up the latter in pursuit of the former, Sylvia makes the decision to remain 'lonely', at least for the time being, without any ...
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Sarah Orne Jewett was a master of rhetorical strategies to shape her writing to what she wanted it to be, and with those three techniques of diction, back story, and imagery, she dramatized the story of "Sylvia" climbing a pine tree. The visuals set up an adventure atmosphere, and Jewett's language brings depth to the subject's motives. Although she could only provide a summary of the ...
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The short story "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett expresses a dynamic character named Sylvia who loves to adventure the woods but is normally afraid of people. However, one day she meets a stranger who she connects with and starts to change how she feels towards people and the shyness of her personality.
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Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron" depicts a young girl's reaction to a man entering her world, asking for the location of the titular bird. Jewett's most well-known story employs numerous, evocative narrative techniques, symbols, and imagery—as well as a compelling quandary for the main character.