Feminism In The White Heron

The female perspective has often times been muted and ignored whether it be through writing, the arts or mainstream society. Sarah Orne Jewett was able to capture both the female and male roles through her story “The White Heron”. Her ability to demonstrate the expectations of both parties and the internal conflict that one character faces, allows the audience to sympathize with certain characters within the story. Jewett uses this piece to enlighten those around her into understanding the issue that was present during this time period, the extinction of the White Heron. This short story contains a minimal amount of characters which gave the author the freedom to expand on the surroundings, in turn allowing the audience to imagine the setting

and assess the situation. In Jewett’s story, Sylvia is used as the human representation of nature; therefore, nature is personified as being innocent, helpless, and female which reflects on the controlling male mindset towards “weakness” of the female gender.
The story tells of a girl named Sylvia who has moved in with her grandmother from “a crowded manufacturing town…” (Jewett 72). She now lived in a place where “…she never had been alive at all before she came to live at the farm” (Jewett 72). The farm allowed her to get in touch with nature. Throughout the story Sylvia is seen connecting with animals more than her own species. She is described as being agile and as if she always belonged in this setting. Her world is later disrupted by the “young sportsman” or “ornithologist”. The young man asks for lodging which young Sylvia is hesitant to assist while Mrs. Tilley quickly obliges. He discloses that he is in search of a white heron for his collection. Sylvia is confused as to “why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much” (Jewett 76). Her closeness with nature didn’t allow her to see the ways of common societal rules or norms. She is then faced with the dilemma to take him to the rare white heron or keep the heron safe from the hands of man. She eventually chooses to protect nature and continues questioning whether her decision was the right choice or something that inhibited her from a better future.
It is important to reflect on the excerpt that is presented before Jewett’s story. The excerpt explains that Jewett was inspired to write this piece because she had been involved with a conservation group “devoted to saving the white heron, which had declined in population because fashionable ladies were wearing feathers in their hats” (Nagel & Quirk 71). The excerpt describes Sylvia as mature by choosing something or someone over herself. Nature inspired and looking for what is right drove Jewett’s to create a piece still relevant today.
Throughout the story Sylvia is compared to nature or portrayed as one of “her own”.

Mrs. Tilly clearly explains this by saying “There ain’t a foot o’ ground she don’t know er way over, and the wild creaturs counts her one o’ themselves” (Jewett 75). Her oneness with nature allowed those around her to take comfort in her as if she was one of the creatures that resided within the trunks or swamp around her. Mrs. Tilly and the ornithologist seem to recognize that there is hardly no distinction between Sylvia and the natural world. Sylvia is seen as innocent, childlike and easily swayed in the eyes of Mrs. Tilly and the young man; however, she is brave in the presence of nature. “There was the huge tree asleep yet in the paling moonlight, and small and silly Sylvia began with utmost bravery to mount to the top of it…” (Jewett 77). Her natural inclination for the innocence of nature allows her to defy the fear or perhaps control that man seems to have towards nature. Instead Sylvia does not see herself as controlling those around her but to become a part of a group as she did not belong to the growing industrial world. Elizabeth Ammons perfectly describes Jewett’s story in the following excerpt from her article:
“Perhaps the most obvious meaning of "’A White Heron’" comes from the female creation, or re-creation, myth Jewett offers. The story presents a little girl whose world is entirely female. No brother, father, uncle, or grandfather lives in it; the men have feuded and left or died. Only she and her grandmother inhabit the rural paradise to which the child was removed after spending the first eight years of her life in a noisy manmade mill-town…In the country with her grandmother she is safe. Named Sylvia (Latin for "woods")” (Ammons

2).
Jewett does use women to create a world in which we are able to clearly differentiate between the gender roles and expectations. The audience is able to see that the only man introduced in the story is the “villain” who tries to extort the innocence of Sylvia to get what he wants. We see this through Sylvia’s thoughts as she seems to be attracted to ornithologist allowing for the possibility of the destruction of nature and its rare bird. The other point Ammons makes which is the final piece to proving that Sylvia and nature are one lies in Sylvia’s name. Her name is Latin for “woods” and Jewett was tactful and intentional when choosing the names of her characters. By giving her this name she is able to continue developing her story and have the audience reflect on the similarities.
Jewett has used perhaps a very “simplistic” style of writing. It can be simplistic in the way the story has no deeper plot, no deep characterization and uses simple words to cater to young Sylvia. This is an advantage when trying to create a story where Jewett is trying to portray innocence. Sylvia places herself as being a part of nature through her actions and nature embraces it. “towards the glorious east flew two hawks…Sylvia felt as if she too could go flying away among the clouds”. That presence of her being so close to being able to do what nature does is present. Her innocent imagination and the innocence of two birds flying shows that there is no anger, hate or ulterior motive in either party. Jewett shows nature’s vulnerability and that of Sylvia’s by creating a “protector” a “heroine”. Sylvia notices this when she questions herself: “What is it that suddenly forbids her and makes her dumb? Has she been nine years growing and now, when the great world for the first time puts out a hand to her, must she thrust in aside for a bird’s sake?” (Jewett 79). She is dumbfounded as to why she is the one protecting the heron when no one else seems to care. She sees that the world is giving her a gift to betray nature or “herself” and give in to receive the acceptance of others that do not have her good in mind. However, her loyalty finally pays off in gratitude from nature. Perhaps this is the way that nature finally fully embraces her: “Whatever treasures were lost to her, woodlands and summer-time, remember! Bring your gifts and graces and tell your secrets to this lonely country child!” (Jewett 80). Jewett’s intelligent use of the word “whatever” shows that that the treasures where not as important for in this occasion only brought death rather than a positive outcome. Nature’s protection came from someone similar to them. Jewett shows that the female mind frame is much stronger than her male counterpart. The destruction of this bird, that came from greed, seems to parallel the ever growing, industrialized society which Sylvia could not partake in as a woman. Hence, she chose to become a part of nature which was true to her natural inclination to her more natural surroundings. The young man stands in for male controlled society. This society that seems to “wake from a dream, remembering his day’s pleasure…” (Jewett 80) and then leaving “disappointed” as not all succumb to sort of hypnosis that comes from male driven society.
In conclusion, this goes further than nature, a child, a man and a heron. This goes beyond the simple words and obvious outcome. The story shows that the innocent may become oppressed by the majority; however, there is a heroine that will standup. This heroine that seems as innocent, as helpless and a “female” fought the odds of what male society believes she would do. A society that believes that they would win the heart of this character but found themselves disappointed but not changing their view of the female gender; however, there is a self-realization that perhaps Sylvia will grow to embrace and appreciate. Innocence does not mean weakness, female does not mean that there is no freedom of choice and the need to follow pre-determined expectations. These terms were only used to show that there are other choices and that not all force and controlling natures win. Perhaps this was the downfall of man, to believe that force is the only way to protect; however, this protection leads to greed rather than protection for the common good and betterment of life for all. Sylvia is the heroine that provides women with a strong sense of morals. Her morals were kept intact despite her young age and lack of knowledge for the world and its ways. Therefore, Jewett was able to empower women with this piece enabling a revival within not only the female gender, but within the activist that were trying to fight for the rights of those who could not speak for themselves and defend the only home they have.