Alexandra Prilepin
Ben Whitney
English 252
December 1, 2018
An Analysis of “A White Heron”
Sarah Orne Jewett’s short story, “A White Heron” centers on a few days in the life of
Sylvia, a nine-year-old girl spending the summer in Maine with her grandmother. Having left the
hustle of the city, Sylvia enjoys spending much of her time in the woodland, as “there never was
such a child for straying about out-of-doors”. One summer evening as Sylvia is walking the
family cow home, she is approached by a handsome young stranger who is seeking to hunt, kill,
and stuff birds, specifically a white heron. Sylvia is attracted to him and agrees to help in his
