QUOTE:
“And wait! wait! do not move a foot or finger, little girl, do not send an arrow of light and consciousness from your two eager eyes, for the heron has perched on a pine bough not far beyond yours, and cries back to his mate on the nest, and plumes his feathers for the new day” (Jewett 528).
SUMMARY:
Sylvia climbs up the tall tree where she knows she has seen the white heron before. As she ascends up the tree, it seems as though this journey coincides with her understanding of her situation with the young hunter.
RESPONSE:
When Sylvia climbs the tall tree, it seems to represent her reaching the understanding of what true love is, as opposed to infatuation or her “crush” on the ornithologist. She finds the hidden nest, but she remains silent even when her grandmother rebukes her and the ornithologist looks straight into Sylvia’s eyes on her return. I think Sylvia wasn’t quite sure if she was going to give up the nest’s location as she climbed the tree, but once she finds the nest and sees that the white heron has a mate, she witnesses what she considers true love between her friends (even though they are birds).
Sylvia is confronted with her personal values and what is valuable to her grandmother or even to society. In other words, Sylvia’s loyalty to what she considers her beautiful creature-friends, versus an offer of money from a one-time guest in her home. To me, this story explores how a young girl will remain loyal to what is priceless in her life. Even though Sylvia contemplates all of the “treasures” the ten dollars can buy and the hunter is “so well worth making happy” (528), he actually turns out not to be worth it for her to lose the white heron forever. She witnesses the white heron with its mate, and it seems like viewing this representation of love (if this type of mating between birds can be considered love) helps Sylvia realize her own true love for the birds.
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