Question

In atleast 150 words, explain the symbolic role that the hunter plays to Sylvia in this story

Answer 1

Answer :

In the short story "The White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett,  the hunter symbolizes the invasion of civilization and technology. He, in a way, represents the “the great red-faced boy who used to chase and frighten her” in the town. He is symbolic of the town and the townspeople that Sylvia has left behind.

In the beginning of the story, Sylvia perceives him as the enemy when she hears his whistle and is immediately aware that it is not friendly like a bird's whistle but aggressive like a man's. She is quite alarmed when the hunter tries to talk to her and fears how her grandmother is going to react once she takes him home. The lines "Sylvia was more alarmed than before. Would not her grandmother consider her much to blame? But who could have foreseen such an accident as this? It did not seem to be her fault, and she hung her head as if the stem of it were broken, but managed to answer "Sylvy," with much effort when her companion again asked her name. " aptly describe how she feels at this point.

The hunter carries a gun and talks about killing birds and then stuffing and preserving them in order to add them to his huge collection of birds. Sylvia instinctively perceives him as a threat to nature. His mere presence threatened the safety of the birds in their wild habitat.

In the end, Sylvia chooses her love for nature over the lure of money and human companionship and does not reveal the location of the white heron to the hunter.