ipl-logo

Character Analysis: A White Heron

1178 Words5 Pages

Coming of Age When people begins maturing and coming of age they are forced to make decisions that will forever shape the way they are. In “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett, Sylvia is faced with a decision to either tell the hunter of the heron’s location and condemn it to death or to conceal the heron’s location and preserve the life of the bird. Although the question seems superficial, there is a much deeper question at hand as to what kind of person Sylvia sees herself becoming. She has the option to stay true to her values or betray them for money and promises offered by the hunter. Along with her age, Jewett demonstrates Sylvia’s youth by the innocence she sees in the world around her. The choices people make shape not only the way other people see and perceive them, but how they feel about and perceive themselves. In “A White Heron,” Sylvia faces isolation from her move from the city, the question of who she wants to become, the choice between the greed of humans and the sanctity of nature, and the moral dilemma between what is right and what is …show more content…

In the midst of a tough decision, Sylvia discovers herself, who she wants to be, and what is important to her. Despite still somewhat questioning herself in the final paragraph, she still finds peace in the “woodlands and summer-time,” and this can only confirm one’s thoughts that she was happy with her final decision and where she was at (533). Although at young ages and confusing times, kids must always make the jump into young adult hood and begin forming their own personalities and interests. “The White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett perfectly illustrates the coming of age and some of the challenges faced by not only Sylvia but for any kid beginning the maturation

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between Underneath The Fourth Amendment And A Thousand Boy Kisses By Tille Carne

    1765 Words  | 8 Pages

    In the novel Underneath The Sycamore Tree, by B. Celeste, The Story of Emery Matterson, an 18-year-old Girl, is told. Emery is confronting her own reality at a time when girls her age are often starting to think about life after high school and moving into adulthood with hopes and dreams just waiting to come true. Logan, Emery's

    Read More

  • Examples Of Adversity In To Kill A Mockingbird '

    159 Words  | 1 Pages

    Scout proves that adversity strengthens an individual by taking difficult events and giving them a positive outcome, resulting in her becoming a mature adolescent. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Scout blossoms from an innocent young child to a sophisticated young lady. She undergoes situations that she would not have known how to handle when she was younger. Learning to walk away from minor as well as major things has helped Scout take on the adversities she faced in a positive way. Scout demonstrates that when an individual endures hardship, it’s possible to have a constructive outcome and transition into a stronger and maturer being.

    Read More

  • Parenting In Karen Thompson Walker's The Age Of Miracles

    1992 Words  | 8 Pages

    A person’s fundamental beliefs and attitudes can be greatly influenced by the people in their lives. As an illustration, the presence of parents in a child 's life can influence them greatly. Parenting goes far beyond the care of the child, as parents also have a significant influence on the child’s personality, emotional development, and behavioral habits. Like in Karen Thompson Walker dystopian novel The Age of Miracles, the protagonist 's parents also have a crucial impact on her self-discovery. The novel is an inventive story, combining classic coming-of-age themes with the horror of a natural disaster of apocalyptic proportions.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Aging Quotes

    733 Words  | 3 Pages

    TIME FLIES Do you remember a time where you could run around and play? A time at your house where you had no worries. In the story To Kill A Mockingbird the silent process of aging takes many of the children’s childhoods. The book tells of racial diversity and the effects of it on a man and his family.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Loneliness Quotes

    563 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine your child is growing up in a short span, being tainted by the evils of man and the heart of the prejudice. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem Finch are forced to age early when their father takes an unpopular side in the courtroom. His children learn the up and downs of being social outcasts who’s father is a ‘nigger-lover’. Although through the course of their unexpected summer, they absorb many aspects of life that even the adults are oblivious to. As they are progressing through their eye-opening summer, Jem and Scout Finch learn about the power of names in their society, the roles of destructive loneliness, and the loss of their innocence.

    Read More

  • Catherine Called Birdy Analysis

    936 Words  | 4 Pages

    Growing up, a change recognized by all, is wildly forgotten. This is the story of Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. It shows how the need for change, is discovered by experiences and exchanges by/from others. Catherine was a pushy, whiney, and selfish person, who only cared about herself. However, by the end of the novel, she is considerate of others, still pushes for her beliefs in a more polite and educated manner, and embraces the fact experiences have value.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Childhood In The Desert, By Jeannette Walls

    923 Words  | 4 Pages

    As time goes on, a person over time starts to understand the reality known as life, she should mature and leave behind a time that once used to be known as childhood. In this essay the author and her family will be traveling to different places which will show how her mom’s foolishness had an affect on the lives of her and her siblings. First, they go to the desert where things get out of control and Jeannette gets injured, then they go to Welch where Rose Mary tells her kids to do something that is not matured and adult like and at last they go to New York, where Rose Mary was still homeless by making decisions that had a bad impact on her and the others around her. The first place that they go to is The Desert.

    Read More

  • Hetty Dorval Character Analysis

    1001 Words  | 5 Pages

    An epiphany can radically change our views on a complex idea, a person that is considered close, or about our own self. A coming of age journey is an experience that allows us to discover the moral growth of an individual as they face a difficult internal dilemma or a situation with another human being. In Hetty Dorval written by Ethel Wilson, a young girl by the name of Frankie Burnaby is faced with multiple crossroads in her life that mould her into an independent women. Frankie's integrity and moral fortitude against wrong prevails as she goes through her coming of age story. Frankie grows up in a small close-nit community in British Columbia’s interior, she learns to appreciate the small everyday tasks and not to get caught up with the

    Read More

  • Dialectical Journal For The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer

    1253 Words  | 6 Pages

    1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 2. Mark Twain 3. The setting of this story is the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, in the mid-1800s. The setting is significant in this story because Tom and his friends are growing up in a time very different from today, and this book shows what life was really like for kids growing up in this time and area.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Maturity In To Kill A Mockingbird

    579 Words  | 3 Pages

    “You have to make choices even when there is nothing to choose from” – Péter Zilahy. Every day brings new choices and we either learn to make them, or let someone else make them for us. Maturity plays a part in the decisions we make and whether we take the role of the maker or the follower. Being afraid, but acting anyways is a true sign of courage and maturity, a topic which both Scout and I faced in our younger years. Scout goes through a journey to bravery from carelessness, while I go through the same journey through the context of kindergarten.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In 'Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?'

    700 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.

    Read More

  • Literary Elements In A White Heron

    622 Words  | 3 Pages

    Adventure and desire are common qualities in humans and Sarah Orne Jewett’s excerpt from “A White Heron” is no different. The heroine, Sylvia, a “small and silly” girl, is determined to do whatever it takes to know what can be seen from the highest point near her home. Jewett uses literary elements such as diction, imagery, and narrative pace to dramatize this “gray-eyed child” on her remarkable adventure. Word choice and imagery are necessary elements to put the reader in the mind of Sylvia as she embarks on her treacherous climb to the top of the world. Jewett is picturesque when describing Sylvia’s journey to the tip of one unconquered pine tree.

    Read More

  • Birdie Character Analysis

    1211 Words  | 5 Pages

    Birdie is not an easy read, an unexpected fact, considering the woman who penned it, Tracey Lindberg, is a lawyer and professor by trade. The difficulty in reading the novel comes not only from its harrowing subject matter but also from the way the story is told. It’s non-linear and jumps back and forth from the present to the past. At the start of each chapter are poems, which often transform characters into animals, such as Bernice Meetos/Birdie who longs to return to the tree, Pimatisewin. The story doesn’t entirely belong to Bernice however, as the chapters tell the story of Beatrice from the voice of five different women- her cousin, aunt, mother, landlord and herself.

    Read More

  • Annie John Compare And Contrast

    443 Words  | 2 Pages

    When you decide that success is something you want out of life, there should be an expectation of sacrifice, as well age is no exception. Annie John is a 17 year old from Barbados, she's the main character in the story, “A Walk to the Jetty” by Jamaica Kincaid. Marita is a 12 year old from the Bronx, NY, and is the main character in the essay, “Marita's Bargain” by Malcolm Gladwell. These two girls are completely different but oddly enough the same as well. In this essay I will be justifying and or explaining why this is so.

    Read More

  • Atonement Character Analysis

    975 Words  | 4 Pages

    Transitioning from childhood to adulthood involves a pivotal moment in one’s life, resulting in a necessary loss of innocence to shape who a person will become. In Atonement by Ian McEwan, the teenage protagonist, Briony Tallis, commits a grave crime that separates two star-crossed lovers and destroys her once innocent childhood. As a teenager, she actively uses her imagination to help with her writing, remaining unaware of adulthood. However, her imagination, combined with her highly demanding and attention seeking personality, convinces her that she is always correct, and as a consequence allow her to falsely accuse a man of rape. The one pivotal moment that Briony experienced may have negatively affected her life and those around her, however, it was a necessity for her to mature and realize her mistakes.

    Read More

More about Character Analysis: A White Heron

Open Document