Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Jewett, Sarah Orne. "A White Heron."

4 comments:

  1. I felt that this story was a bit of a mystery because Sylvia knew exactly what the man was looking for and turned down money to tell where the hereon was. I do not think that Sylvia really liked the fact that the man was going around from town to town and city to city to make profits for killing these birds. This story can also be related to the way we live now in some cases. For example if our friends or family members are in a situation that can result into them going to prison, we will try everything in our powers to help them and even go as far as lying just to cover them up. In Sylvia’s case, she probably did not care whether or not the man [hunter] had offered her a million dollars she was not going to tell him the whereabouts of the hereon. This is what I would call a dedicated young girl who believes in saving all creatures. Also, I think that this was a way for her to clear her mind of the things that were surrounding her and her lonesome because there was no one in the house with her besides her grandmother and she found freedom in walking with cow and having relationships with the birds as well as the white hereon which seemed to be something rare to find because the hunter himself mentioned how he had to traveled as far as he did in order to find the hereon.

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  2. I agree with Ericka that Sylvia knew what the hunter wanted but she did not like the fact what he was going to do with the heron. I also like what Ericka said about how Sylvia did not like the fact that the man was going from town to town hunting for a profit, throughout the story it is never mentioned or stated in those words but at the end when she sees the heron it becomes apparent. I think I would have done the same thing as Sylvia I could not let someone kill a creature just to make a profit. Like Ericka said, Sylvia is a very dedicated young girl. She loved animals the story first sees that because of how close she is with the cow. Sylvia and the cow are like how people are with their dogs today, because in the story it states, “the cow alongside of her.” That statement just reminded me of walking my dog. Sylvia is also dedicated and confident in her decisions because she went against what her grandmother wanted her to do as well.
    I like the how I got visual images in my head throughout the story. Jewett gives great imagery. For an example, when Sylvia was walking through the trails in the dark, she already knew the way and knew how to get around in the environment, which gave me a visual. Also, when Sylvia was climbing the tree and passing from tree to tree, “the tree seemed to lengthen itself out as she went up, and to reach farther and farther upward.”
    Overall I enjoyed the story because I think of myself as an animal lover like Sylvia and I also enjoyed the scenery the story portrays.

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  3. For little shy girl, Sylvia had a lot of tenacity and courage. Sylvia had a true coming of age moment in this story. I don't think too many children would make such a stance against injustice as Sylvia did. I liked how she stood up and protected the heron from its fate with death and stood up against an adult for what she believed. That made me truly enjoy the story. It would be easy for an adult to do something like that but not a child.

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  4. Protecting the White Heron was a very courageous decision for Sylvia to make. It showed how connected to nature she is. The scene in the story that was by far my favorite was the moment Sylvia decided she couldn’t give up the White Heron’s location. “…she remembers how the white heron came flying through the golden air and how they watched the sea and the morning together, and Sylvia cannot speak; she cannot tell the heron’s secret and give its life away.” Jewett’s vivid description of this moment shows the companionship that Sylvia felt with the White Heron and no matter how fascinated she was with this hunter she wasn’t willing to sacrifice this bird’s life. Not even for the generous amount of money that he offered solely in exchange for information. At the end of the story she seems to have a little bit of remorse for losing the hunter because of her loyalty to nature but she is content with her decision. This experience seemed to have taught her a little bit more about becoming a woman and what it might feel like to be attracted to someone.

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