heron

Hl0000825

MulticulturalLiterature

Edward

AWhiteHeron:TheFlyingIndependentSoulofLittleSylvia

Processofgrowthisnotalwayswithpleasantsurpritolearnnewthings,butsometimes

canbeapressureofcompromisingwiththeworldaroundusandabandoningsomething

particularlyforSylvia,atinylittlegirlwholivedin

aconrvativevillage,duringwhoperiodoflifewomentendtosubmittomen'

tellingafictionstory,SarahOmeJewettexpressagoodwillofkeepingtheinnocence

regardlessofthetemptationfromtheoutsideworld,andraistheawarenessoffemale

independence・

Sylviaisthemaincharacterinthestory・Sheisatypicallittlegirlwhopossallthe

personalitiesofpurehumannature:innocent,brave,solitaryandalittlebitshywhenshe

ryopenswithSylviainvillagesurroundedbynatureandshe.

Sylviahasnotalwayslivedintheforest,asthewritertellsus,she"hadtriedtogrowfor

eightyearsinacrowdedmanufacturingtown,but,asforSylviaherlf,itemedasifshe

neverhadbeenaliveatallbeforeshecametoliveatthefarm.^Herethemanufacturing

townbecomesametaphorofdevelopedhumansocietyandpersonalities,andlittleSylvia

ethinksofcity,onlythenoisytownandthered-faced

tely,hereauthorcreates

Sylviatostandforthehumannaturewhichisunshapedandoriginal,quitedifferentfrom

thehighlydevelopedones・

meanswoodsor

heauthorwantsustothinkthegirlismuchliketheforests・Shebelongs

totheforests,andthat'swhysheneverhadbeenaliveinthecity.

Tstory,

thelifeofthewhiteheronisunderthreat,andtheinnocencewithinSylviasoulisalmost

dertedbecauoftheyoungsportsman'sappearance・ForlittleSylvia,heis“ahand

firstputoutonherfromthegreatworldr—s

tothepeacefulvillagefromthecity,andbreaksthepeaceofSylvia'sheart・Heisniceto

her,andpromisifsheshowshimwherethebirdis,hewillgaveheralargesumof

money・

Inthestory,therelationshipbetweentheyoungmanandSylviaistypicalformostmen

andwomeninthattime—womentendtobedependentonmen,andtheyusuallygiveup

theirwillandfollowthemen'heyoungmanleaves,Sylviafeelsthatshe"could

havervedandfollowedhimandlovedhimasadogloves!”Theimageoftheyoung

hunterstandsfortheperfectmanimage—heisyoung,handsome,wealthy,welleducated,

esthewomen'sloveasleepinlittleSylviawho

almostmakesuphermindtofollowhimandbeloyaltohimasadogdoes・Hereauthor

indicatestherelationshipbetweenmenandwomeninloveissortofunequal,andwhen

theyhavedifferentviewsofsomething,women'swillsareofteninfluencedbymen's.

Furthermore,forestsarealwaysametaphorforthewomen'nghunter

sly,heisaconqueroroftheforestandwomen.

TheclimaxofthisstoryiswhenSylviaclimbsuptothetopoftreeandobrveallthisvast

andawesomeworld,andthewholeprocesssymbolizeSylvia'slf-awarenessawaking.

Thedawningsunmakesagoldendazzleonthea,andtwohawksflytowardglorious

texcitingsceneiswhenthewhiteflies"bythelandmarkpinewithsteady

sweepofwingandoutstretchedslenderneckandcrestedhead”.Thatisreallyanawesome

tremblingdawnfilledwithhope・LittleSylviaisshockedbythemagnificentlandscape

andthesolemnbird,estandsatthetoptheforest,she

elpyoungmandoanydamagetotheforest,italsocaus

tstoprotectthebird,whichshowsthebeautyofthenatureand

alsoarousthekindnessdeepinsideSylvia'shearttoridheroftheyoungman's

awoman,Sylvia'olongertho

herownideasandstickstowhatshe

believes・Finally,shehastheindependentsoul.

ThenovelWhiteHeronisastoryaboutthelittlegirlSylvia'sgrowth,andeveryonecan

recognizethemlvesfromherexperience・Likethesolemnpurewhiteheronflyingin

theskyofthegoldendawn,afterexperiencingallthedifficultsituations,littleSylvia

hastheflyingindependentsoul,andshekeepstheinnocencewithinherheart.