During my fact sheet I talked about how “A White Heron” could be looked at through a “coming of age” lens. At the end of my fact sheet I gave part of the text that I felt showed this, so I wanted to talk about it more here.
“There was the huge tree asleep yet in the paling moonlight, and small and hopeful Sylvia began with utmost bravery to mount to the top of it”
I think that the huge tree symbolizes life in general and Sylvia’s braveness to mount to the top of it shows her growing up and facing what life has to throw at her.
“with tingling, eager blood coursing the channels of her whole frame, with her bare feet and fingers, that pinched and held like bird's claws to the monstrous ladder reaching up, up, almost to the sky itself.”
This line describes the sexuality that this young girl is feeling at this age.
“First she must mount the white oak tree that grew alongside, where she was almost lost among the dark branches and the green leaves heavy and wet with dew; a bird fluttered off its nest, and a red squirrel ran to and fro and scolded pettishly at the harmless housebreaker.”
Getting lost among the branches shows how hard life is and how difficult it is to grow up. Sometimes it’s not easy to find our way. We don’t know exactly what we’re doing or which way is the right way to go and sometimes we will get lost. This paints the perfect picture to describe this.
“Sylvia felt her way easily. She had often climbed there, and knew that higher still one of the oak's upper branches chafed against the pine trunk, just where its lower boughs were set close together.”
This shows that coming into adulthood doesn’t have to always be hard. It can come easily in some areas and in some instances. For Sylvia, she had often climbed this area, so this particular road in her life wasn’t going to be too rough.
“There, when she made the dangerous pass from one tree to the other, the great enterprise would really begin.”
The change from familiar to unfamiliar is the toughest part. Once could say that this might be the leaving the nest part. Sylvia realizes the dangers of change and how much of an adventure life really would be from now on once she passed from one tree to the next.
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Wow, I really really like the break down!! That's pretty deep. I can totally see how each part of the tree is representative of a different stage of life. I think maybe you could add onto climbing from one tree to the next as like, different relationships too. The one tree that she starts off in remains familiar because she's climbed it so many times, and a new tree represents to journey all over again. New, uncharted territory for her. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt almost seems like you could read the whole thing as being about the girl's newly awakened sexuality. It is interesting how she had to weigh whether she was going to please this boy - and then who knows what may come of it? - or choose to live free from the constrictions yielding to his desire might impose on her (not being free to enjoy her time how she pleases, etc.). With the guy, he almost seems a bit wreckless. If read as a tale of sexuality in the 19th century though, the guy can afford to be reckless. All the consequence belonged to the girl.
ReplyDeleteI also thought striking out on her own was also the first time she was thinking independently and breaking all the rules. Her feelings for the stranger had caused her to unlock other thought processes--and break her childlike routine. A simple story and great read!
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