The meaning of “A White Heron” Through life experiences we learn that some things in life are more important than money. By using the “Archetypal Cycle of Human experience” I will be able to explain the importance of each stage in the story “ A white Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. The story “ A white Heron” is about a nine-year-old girl named Sylvia. The author starts the cycle/framework by implying through the character’s age that Sylvia has a certain innocence that only a young child early in life can possess. This is the first stage in the cycle of human experiences, the innocence stage. Sylvia had moved from the city to the country in order to live with her grandmother when she was eight years old. Sylvia used to live in a crowded and noisy manufacturing town with her parents. After Sylvia moved to the country, she seemed to come alive, like being born again. The fact that the author has Sylvia move from the city to the country shows that Sylvia has entered the second stage in the cycle. The second stage for Sylvia is about her going on a quest in a since where she will figure out who she will become through life experiences, the other stages in the cycle. Sylvia was out one night bringing the cow home from pasture when she heard a whistle. The whistle was from a man in the woods. Sylvia viewed the man as the enemy at first. The man was lost and asked Sylvia how far it was to the road, Sylvia consumed with fear could hardly speak to answer. The man was out hunting for some birds. The man asked if he could stay the night, and Sylvia said that she would have to ask her grandmother. The man was allowed to stay the night, and he also received dinner. After the dinner, the three of then sat out in front of the door and talked. Sylvia’s grandmother talked about Sylvia for awhile and mentioned that she knew all about the birds in the area. This sparked an interest in the man, and ...
