Doe Season Symbolism

Symbolism is often used in stories to portray obstacles encountered in everyday lives, David Kaplan’s short story “Doe Season,” is no exception. The central theme is everything changes. The stories plot revolves around a young woman, Andy, who is entering the adult world and wants to maintain her childish ways. We see her anticipation and anxiety through subtle hints; such as when her mother is involved a flashback wanting her to come into the ocean. Another symbol, quite possibly the strongest symbol of the story is the doe in which Andy must slay before her acceptance of maturity. Yet everything changes, this story is no exception Andy is met with the battle of her oncoming feminism, and she cannot run away from it forever; Andy runs home

to her mother changing her name from Andy to Andrea.
The struggle in “Doe Season,” is that the main character Andy, must consult her innermost fears of her feminine side and relinquish all her boyish ways. We see this struggle in many different aspects of the story. The main objective proposed by the story is delivering Andy into womanhood. We see this through her flash back to a time at the beach; her mother is out in the ocean and trying to coax young Andy to join her in the water, but Andy is fearful of the ocean and what may lie beneath the surface. While at the ocean her mother is swept by the pull of an undertow and her top falls down; this symbolizes how Andy feels the sea of womanhood exposes her to the elements of the real world. She wants to stay on shore with her dad where it is safe. This captures how Andy fears maturity, and how she wants to stay an innocent child rather than enter into adulthood.
The ocean itself is a symbol; the ocean is a constantly changing environment of mystery and wonder; this mysterious new zone is frightening to Andy. The ocean symbolizes the world of feminism in which Andy must enter. The ocean is a frightful place where she is exposed to the world of womanhood. Her mother is already a member of this atmosphere, and wants her daughter to join her.
Next, the doe is quite possibly the greatest symbol of the story for the doe symbolizes the impending approach of Andy’s crossroad of becoming a woman.

After the long day of hunting Andy decides to go out by herself; while on her trip she finds a doe; this could be Andy becoming self-aware of here situation. At night she sees the doe maimed and seeking refuge; she sticks her hand inside the doe and feels the heart beat; this would be a reflection of her own fight to maintain where she is. The doe walks away which symbolizes that she is going to miss her chance at life if she doesn’t act upon her urges. Andy’s battle within herself was killed when the doe is found.
Lastly, at the end of the story the doe is found at the edge of the forest the next morning after Andy shot her. Upon witnessing the corpse Andy runs away; her father, mac, and Charlie Spoon cry out for her to return to them. The only problem is she doesn’t go by her childhood name of Andy anymore; from now on she will be known as Andrea. She runs away hearing the men shouting for her; yet louder is the call of her mother in the sea saying “come in.” This symbolizes the victory of her feminine side taking over, and that she will now lay her tomboyish attributes aside and be a well-rounded young

lady.
In conclusion, the story “Doe Season,” by David Kaplan links with many aspects of the real world; such as the fact that all things must come to an end. The greatest struggle encountered in the story is Andy’s passage into womanhood. The most important symbols from the story are the ocean, the doe, and Andy’s name change; these symbols stand out because of the importance each one plays in plotting the story. Kaplan set out with the intent of touching the readers heart strings, and with the story “Doe Season,” he unquestionably succeeded.