The short story “A White Heron” offers its own kind of critique of violence and the narrative of the masculine “hero.” How?
If you like, consider:
How does the story prioritize kinship with animals over violence?
How does gender map onto these issues?
Why is Sylvie is silent in the end?
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The masculine figure in this story is the ornithologist, searching for a white bird to kill. But he’s really the villain of the story. The hero is the little girl. She knows she could get 10 dollars for her family, if she leads him to the bird. But she refuses to do so. The story gives us a picture of an unlikely hero – a quiet and shy little girl that is friendly to animals, and her heroism involves denying violence.
I believe the little girl, Sylvia, is the true hero in this short story. The story prioritizes animal kinship over violence because in the end Sylvia decides to remain quiet and keep her knowledge of the white heron’s nest to herself, rather than tell the hunter, who wants the bird for his collection. In the end, the author writes “Were the birds better friends than their hunter might have been, – who can tell? Whatever treasures were lost to her, woodlands and summertime remember!” Sylvia knows that the 10 dollar incentive offered by the male hunter could buy her “many wished-for treasures” but she realizes the birds and nature have been there for her all along and she remains loyal to them.
In this story, I believe the hero is Sylvia. In this story we learn that Sylvia remains quiet and she keeps to herself, which is her strong suit and makes her the strongest character in the story. Sylvia is given a choice in this story, she could take the 10 dollars or she could do the right thing and deny the money out of respect for the birds. In the end Syvia rejected the tempting money, making her the hero in my opinion.
In “A White Heron”, Sylvie is forced to choose between materialism and nature. To start with the reasons of taking the money, Sylvie believed ten dollars was a lot of money and it was further reinforced with her infatuation with our masculine “hero”, the young huntsman. However, the ten dollars can go so far as to solve problems temporarily and Sylvie only just met the young huntsman without knowing more about him. Sylvie’s loyalty to nature is highlighted when the passage states, “The murmur of the pine’s green branches is in her ears, she remembers how the white heron came flying through the golden air and how they watched the sea and the morning together.” Sylvie showed her connection, respect, and loyalty to nature and to betray it for money would be inhumane. Sylvie making the right decision makes her a hero compared to the villainous huntsman who is only there for profit.
In the short story, “A White Heron,” the little girl Sylvie is the hero. Sylvie is given a choice and opportunity to get 10 dollars if she shows the masculine figure where the white birds he desires are. She is tested whether she will give up and turn her back on the nature and the birds who have been there for her, or to keep quiet and stay loyal to them. In the end, Sylvie denys the money, remains quiet and staying loyal to the birds, showing that she is the true hero in the story since she saved the birds from the evil villain.
Sylvy is silent in the end because she chooses her relationship with the birds and the other wildlife over money. The very last page of the short story, it says, “The murmur of the pine’s green branches is in her ears, 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.” The young man offers her ten dollars for her assistance in his violence, but the author shows that no amount of money is worth killing an innocent animal.
In the short story ” A white Heron” Sylvie is the hero in the book. I stated this because she had more heart then the rest of the characters in the story. Sylvie could have told the hunter where the bird was but instead kept it a secret. Sylvie morals showed great courage and for that she is a hero within herself. Another big part of the reason why she is such a great person to call a hero is because the man offered her money and she didn’t use that to change her judgement about the bird. Instead she does not take the money because she knows what is right.
From the beginning of the story we are introduced to Sylvia as a wanderer at one with nature and her environment. She meets a wayfarer who has a different kind of respect for the nature around him. He is a hunter and is fascinated by the animals he desires. This story represents an incentive for sylvia as the hunter offers her money as a reward for helping him find the rare heron he’s been searching for. This appeals to Sylvia as she has not many companions and this is a situation new to her however in the end she feels a sense of loyalty to the heron. After spending the morning climbing a tall tree in search of the heron, when presented with the chance to share her news of spotting the heron in the field she stays silent. Sylvia reminisces, “The murmur of the pine’s green branches is in her ears, she remembers how the white heron came flying through the golden air and how they watched the sea and the morning together..”. She can’t bring herself to give away the heron’s “secret” which would give its life away to the thrill of the hunter. The many elements in nature and the animals have been her companions. The hunter represents newness and intrigue to Sylvia’s story. He holds power of knowledge from the outside world much like that of the enlightened man. Though Sylvia and the hunters interaction is tame, to contribute to the violent end of the heron would alter her reciprocal relationship with nature. In the end, Sylvia’s rational thought makes her the Hero as she writes her own story.
In the short story, “A White Heron,” Sylvie is considered the hero. Sylvie is given the opportunity to earn ten dollars by a huntsman passing by. The huntsman is searching for a white heron and asks Sylvie for the location of the bird. Sylvie believes that she is given the ultimate test of selflessness and believes that preserving the nature is more valuable than earning a profit. Sylvie earns the hero title because of her bravery to keep the heron safe despite the bribery by the huntsman. she denies the money and stays quiet about the location of the birds.