A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett Analysis Essay

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” Although the conservation of nature is crucial for survival of the human race, many individuals have forgotten this crucial lesson. Within “A White Heron,” by Sarah Orne Jewett, this is especially the case, as the story revolves around a white heron. With the use of feminist and marxist criticism, the story is anaylzed, revealing how evident it is that nature will always end up on top. 

Through marxist criticism, the two social classes in "A White Heron'' are evident. The hunter is intended to be viewed as upper class, and Sylvia and Mrs. Tilly are lower class. On page 132, to the hunter “It was a surprise to find so clean and comfortable a little dwelling…, “  and states “This was the best thrift of an old-fashioned farmstead…,” (Jewett, S. O., 2014). Heavily influenced by past experiences, the hunter automatically assumes Sylvia and her grandmother are poor from outside appearances, and the location of the household. Eventually, the hunter turns to money as a form of manipulation over the lower class, saying, “‘ I would give ten dollars to anybody who could show it to me,’” in a desperate tone  (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.134). Sylvia thought of “...how many wished-for treasures the ten dollars… would buy,” and did not make any implications the money would be used for food (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p. 134). Mrs. Tilly appears to heavily depend on nature for food, as they live on a farm, but are in no desperation for money for survival. For example, their cow Mistress Moollywas depended on “good milk” (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.130). The hunter assumed the money would guarantee that Sylvia would give up the bird's location, but he was proven wrong when “...Sylvia does not speak after all” (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.137). Nearly all “...human interactions are economically driven,”  which is heavily referenced throughout "A White Heron" (Gardner & Diaz, 2021, p.176).

Another indication of the differing social classes between the hunter and Mrs. Tilly and Sylvia is their form of speech. On page 133, Mrs. Tilly says words such as “pa’tridges,” squer’ls,” and “n’t” (Jewett, S. O., 2014). Within “A White Heron,” it is never implied that Mrs. Tilly had any form of education, which may concur why her english was distinctive from the hunter.  Although the hunter’s education is never referenced either, he has a more coherent form of speech, which may have been influenced by the location of his household and is the case for Sylvia. For example, Sylvia  “...had eight years in a crowded manufacturing town…” (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.131). Even if Sylvia never got a proper education, she grew up listening to the conversations around her. Though as soon as Sylvia made the decision to move to her grandmother’s farm, her education may have stopped, and she begun a life of isolation akin to her grandma. 

Through feminist criticism, “the roles of women,” and the “relationships” are examined (Gardner & Diaz, p.175). Within “A White Heron,” the various relationships, such as the relationship between Sylvia and Mistress Mooly, reveal various aspects. For example, Mistress Moollyis intended to be viewed as a guardian over Sylvia. This is clear due to the word choice, as Mistress Moollyis referred to as an “old cow” instead of a heifer (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.130). A heifer is a cow that has not given birth yet, while a cow has, implying that Sylvia is similar to a child of Mistress Mooly. Also, Sylvia depends on Mistress Moollyfor milk, as a baby does from their mother (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.130). 

Further evaluation through feminist criticism reveals that Sylvia represents a girls journey into womanhood. From the initial introduction of the hunter to the end of the story, Mistress Moolly is rarely mentioned again (Jewett, S. O., 2014). Also, as the hunter whistled to signify his presence, “Sylvia left the cow to whatever sad fate might await her…” (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.131). Although Sylvia originally abandons the cow out of fear, the abandonment continues through a new-found love between Sylvia and the hunter. Sylvia describes the hunter as “kind and sympathetic,” and later it is stated that “...the woman’s heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love” (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.134). The love nearly convinces Sylvia to overthrow her morals and give away the location of the beloved white heron. At one point, the hunter states that “...now she really must be made to tell…,” indicating his use of manipulation over the young girl (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.137).  In the end, Sylvia chose nature over the hunter, and her loyalty “...suffered a sharp pang as the guest went away disappointed…” (Jewett, S. O., 2014, p.137).  Her loyalty to nature overthrew the fragile loyalty with the hunter, and Sylvia continues her life in human isolation. 

Though the conservation of nature is forgotten, it has not become any less crucial than before. Oftentimes, hunters tend to kill animals for their own advantage, which is shown through “A White Heron.” Despite the devastating impact of the loss of such animals, nature always appears to end up on top, and will thrive centuries after humans cease to exist.