Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

“So Sylvy knows all about birds, does she?” he exclaimed, as he looked round at the little girl who sat, very demure but increasingly sleepy, in the moonlight. “I am making a collection of birds myself. I have been at it ever since I was a boy.” (Mrs. Tilley smiled.) “There are two or three very rare ones I have been hunting for these five years. I mean to get them on my own ground if they can be found.”

“Do you cage ’em up?” asked Mrs. Tilley doubtfully, in response to this enthusiastic announcement.
“Oh no, they’re stuffed and preserved, dozens and dozens of them,” said the ornithologist, “and I have shot or snared every one myself. I caught a glimpse of a white heron a few miles from here on Saturday, and I have followed it in this direction. They have never been found in this district at all. The little white heron, it is,” and he turned again to look at Sylvia with the hope of discovering that the rare bird was one of her acquaintances.

In at least 150 words, explain what the hunter and the white heron symbolize in “A White Heron,” and how the relationship between these two concepts is developed in this excerpt.

Answer 1

In 'A White Heron,' the hunter symbolizes dominance over nature and the white heron symbolizes nature's purity and fragility. Their relationship showcases the tension between human exploitation and the autonomy of the natural world, with Sylvia's choice reflecting the broader conflict.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Sarah Orne Jewett's "A White Heron," the hunter represents the force of industrialization and conquest of nature, while the white heron symbolizes the purity and fragility of the natural world. The hunter is enthusiastic about his collection of birds, which he has been gathering since his youth, suggesting a long-standing pursuit of dominance over nature. His interest in achieving his collection on his "own ground" and his method of stuffing and preserving birds reveal his desire to control and exhibit the natural world as a token of his power.

Conversely, the white heron is described as rare and elusive, living freely and unspoiled in its natural habitat. The hunter has been searching for this bird for years, indicating its significance as a prize to possess and control. When the hunter eagerly questions Sylvia about the heron, hoping to learn its whereabouts, he is unconcerned with the bird's well-being, viewing it solely as a potential addition to his collection. The relationship between the hunter and the heron thus highlights the tension between human desire for ownership and the autonomy of nature. Sylvia's internal conflict mirrors this tension, as she must decide whether to protect the heron or assist the hunter, ultimately representing a broader choice between preserving nature and succumbing to human exploitation.