A White Heron
Examining Christian Symbolism in “A White Heron”
Symbolism is a very prominent attribute contained within Sarah Orne Jewett’s short story, “A White Heron”. The short story takes its reader through the short exploration that the main character, Sylvia, goes through when she is faced with making a decision that may lead to the end of a beautiful bird’s life. Many critics have analyzed and debated the many symbols contained within the story. Victoria Freivogel, an English teacher from Louisiana, wrote an essay which examines what she considers the symbolism to be in “A White Heron”. In her essay she goes against other critics who claim “the ornithologist, pine tree, and white heron are symbolic of Sylvia’s burgeoning sexuality” (Freivogel 136). In fact she states, “they are, in fact, symbols of Christianity” (Freivogel 136).
Innocence in “The White Heron” is a theme that I, as a reader, have recognized each time I have read the story. Reading Freivogel’s essay and learning about other critic’s views can be a little unsettling when the reader has only viewed the story as an innocent journey of a young girl who decides to protect nature, as well as her own conscious. Freivogel reveals that, “Many critics liken the ornithologist to a sexual predator” (Freivogel 136). These critics consider him a predator because he is offering her money for compensation if she can lead him to the white heron which is symbolic of a “sexual predator convincing Sylvia to hunt for the white heron with him” (Freivogel 136). She goes on to say that these critics consider the “hunt for birds equal to a hunt for Sylvia’s sexual being” (Freivogel 137). In reality, the hunt is simply for the bird and innocence remains prominent, which is shown when Jewett writes that Sylvia, “could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much” (Jewett 67).
A clear symbol in “A White Heron” is the hunter who symbolizes an enemy; the enemy against nature and and the enemy
Symbolism is a very prominent attribute contained within Sarah Orne Jewett’s short story, “A White Heron”. The short story takes its reader through the short exploration that the main character, Sylvia, goes through when she is faced with making a decision that may lead to the end of a beautiful bird’s life. Many critics have analyzed and debated the many symbols contained within the story. Victoria Freivogel, an English teacher from Louisiana, wrote an essay which examines what she considers the symbolism to be in “A White Heron”. In her essay she goes against other critics who claim “the ornithologist, pine tree, and white heron are symbolic of Sylvia’s burgeoning sexuality” (Freivogel 136). In fact she states, “they are, in fact, symbols of Christianity” (Freivogel 136).
Innocence in “The White Heron” is a theme that I, as a reader, have recognized each time I have read the story. Reading Freivogel’s essay and learning about other critic’s views can be a little unsettling when the reader has only viewed the story as an innocent journey of a young girl who decides to protect nature, as well as her own conscious. Freivogel reveals that, “Many critics liken the ornithologist to a sexual predator” (Freivogel 136). These critics consider him a predator because he is offering her money for compensation if she can lead him to the white heron which is symbolic of a “sexual predator convincing Sylvia to hunt for the white heron with him” (Freivogel 136). She goes on to say that these critics consider the “hunt for birds equal to a hunt for Sylvia’s sexual being” (Freivogel 137). In reality, the hunt is simply for the bird and innocence remains prominent, which is shown when Jewett writes that Sylvia, “could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much” (Jewett 67).
A clear symbol in “A White Heron” is the hunter who symbolizes an enemy; the enemy against nature and and the enemy
Bibliography: Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Jewett, Sarah Orne. "A White Heron." Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Ed. R.S. Gwynn. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2012. 62-71. Print.