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The Country Values

The conflict of the story "The White Heron" arises when the little girl (Silvia) must conscientiously chose between revealing the location of the heron's nest, or seek to allure her new friend.
In the first part of her story, Jewitt establishes a bound between Silvia and the hunter. It is interesting how at first Silvia perceives the hunter as an "enemy". Her weariness is briefly justified by alluding to bad past experiences with "city" boys since Silvia had spent the first eight years of her life in a "crowded manufacturing town." Also the paragraphs surrounding their encoounter have a tone that suggests that Silviais in danger.

The fear in Silvia reflects the common attitude of the people from urban society of thosse days, whhich considered men outrigghht violent. This prejudice attitude was not held by Silvia's Grandmother, whom we can associate with the simpler common disposition of country folks.

When her Grandmother (Mrs Tilley) opens h...

Posted by: Jennifer Valles

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