A White Heron Theme: Critical Analysis

Introduction to Archetypes and Myths

Before one can define archetypal criticism, one must define what an archetype is. An archetype, in literature, is a predictable action, character, or a circumstance that displays patterns in human nature that are universal and can be compared to other behavior patterns. A “universal symbol,” another term for an archetype, could be a theme, symbol, setting, or a character. Archetypes help the structure and function of a piece of literary work, due to the representation of something recurring within human culture.

Myths and Archetypes go hand-in-hand; all ethnic groups have different types of myths and archetypes that are native to their own culture or religion. Myths are defined by the environment of the culture they exist in, this in turn also develops the archetypes seen today. A myth is considered universal like an archetype; this is due to finding near indistinguishable themes within the vast amount of myths. The specific images depicted in myths, usually have a common meaning or will attempt to draw out psychological responses. These responses may be compared to other responses from the same or similar image, the images or patterns used to get a response is called the archetype.

Carl Jung’s Theory of Collective Unconscious

A popular Swiss psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, stated that the “collective unconscious” of humans are the root of archetypes. The “collective unconscious” is a fancy term for a shared experience that others within the same race or even culture may have felt or gone through at one point in time. An example of such an experience would be something like religion, birth, life, death, love, struggle, and survival. In the subconscious of every person who experiences these things, they may be re-created or interpreted in a form of art or in literature.

It is likely one would stumble upon common archetypes in daily reading and modern work. This is because archetypes are recurring and authors will recycle basic ideas. One example is the Hero archetype. They are usually a very good person, have good morals, and fight evil in some way or another for peace. These types of archetypes are found among stories with good and evil themes. There are hero complexes in Harry Potter, The Lightning Thief, and Twilight. All have themes of good and bad. Harry Potter is the hero surrounded by good and is pushed to defeat the evil in Hogwarts. The Lightning Thief has the hero seeking out the evil to slay or get rid of it. Twilight has the main character also surrounded by good people, she is considered more of a bystander and leader who stands next to the heros. The heros in Twilight are the good sides of power in numbers against the evil vampires.

The Mother Figure, The Innocent Youth, The Mentor, The Villain, and The Scapegoat are many different archetypes among many archetypes. These can be found by reading literature texts closely. Studying literature closely with the use of archetypal criticism can help the reader understand the viewpoint of the author. Many archetypes are universal and appear in many cultures. This ensures that many different types of people within a similar community may understand a given piece of work.

A literary work will gain acceptance from the readers when a character archetype or situation is used in a way that will be easy to understand and connect to while considering what their culture is. Realism can be incorporated into a work of literature with the help of common archetypes. The inspiration for the archetype comes from the situations the author may have experienced in the world.

Archetypal Patterns and Symbolism

Archetypes are easily seen in modern-day work, if one knows what to look for. Since archetypes are universal symbols, a reader should look for patterns and symbolic textual evidence while analyzing a piece of literature. Take note of the descriptive images an author may write. Patterns and symbols that may foreshadow events may pop up in a story through the scenery that is described or a specific color mentioned. The surrounding of a story helps build onto an archetype of a character. Knowing more about the background and studying it will help understand a given character and why they make specific choices.

There are various patterns to look for, one common one is the creation motif. It could be considered the most basic and fundamental of the archetypal patterns. Essentially all myths are founded upon how the world or universe came to exist as it does now. Nature, humankind, and the cosmos all fall under this category. It is also important to remember that the creation motif involves a supernatural being like a god. It could also include multiple god-like figures that are supernatural or hold a great deal of significance to the people who may or may not worship them. A great example of patterns that appear commonly are included within most religions all across the globe. The Great Flood is an archetype or pattern that appears in most cultures like Africa, America, Asia, and Europe.

Carl Jung’s foremost concept of archetypal criticism, which created the basis of the style of criticism, was that an archetype means “first print.” This would refer to the patterns that a human mind is capable of recognizing, which would have been in existence since the beginning of time. These are considered the stepping stones of wakefulness because they are recurring in art, architecture, and literature. They also appear in different cultures all around the world. The oldest archetype, by Jung’s perspective, is the wheel and is replicated among all people. It is found in the unconscious of any person on a collective level.

Archetypal Criticism in Literary Works

In 1934, Maud Bodkin’s Archetypal Patterns in Poetry is the first complete literary work to be criticised while using Jung’s concepts on archetypal criticism. It established what the author was interested in; the symbolism that is ancient due to the replication of it over a long course of time. The symbolic character and circumstances are examined in this particular study, in which they are common in famous or prominent literature. A few examples are Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Dante’s Inferno, and Coleridge’s The Ancient Mariner.

Coming from a critical perspective it is confirmed that it was more important, in this instance, to study the archetype interest of the literary works than the mythological criticism aspect of the work. The study immediately tests if the claim Jung made about the collective unconscious was true, “a transhistorical collective unconscious that can be charted throughout the literature of various cultures.”(Ryan, 174)

Due to archetypes, poems can elicit a particular emotional significance. The archetypes are usually an unconscious force but elicit excitement in some cases. They can be expressed as primordial and recurring. They can also be expressed as inherited images, which are used to decide the current experience of an individual.

One example of archetypal criticism is The rebirth archetype in fairy tales: A study of Fitcher’s Bird and Little Red Cap. The fairy tales here have themes of rebirth in them. Because rebirth implies there is a death, whether or not it is literal or symbolic, it leads up to the literal or symbolic rebirth.

Myth-making is emphasized in archetypal methodology due to the structural aspect of a given piece of text. It is an image that is recurring in apparent myths, rites, and artifacts with significant symbolic meaning. Themes of rebirth are common in many cultures. In Little Red Cap there are themes of rebirth that involve the wolf being cut open to free the people he ate.

Themes and Archetypes in ‘A White Heron’

In the short story, A White Heron, there are underlying themes of good vs. evil, innocence, and temptation. The main character, Sylvia, represents the innocence and the good within the story. This is due to her young age of nine years old and her shy demeanor around the stranger. Sylvia also repeatedly shys away from any thought of killing or aiding in killing animals. This aspect of her also represents the good within the story. The evil is the stranger, who is an ornithologist since he kills for sport and collects the birds as trophies. The temptation for poor Sylvia ten dollars and a gracious thank you from the sportsman. One could argue that the temptation was driven by Sylvia’s inner woman and the prospect of love.

Sylvia comes from a big family with many sisters and was likely suffering from overcrowding. She says, “… it seemed as if she never had been alive at all before she came to live at the farm.”(Jewett 67) I believe this implies that she was unhappy at home. She may have had a busy mother who had many young children and was lost in the crowd of family. Since she can take care of herself she will likely have less attention from her family.

The young girl wishes to never go home because of the beautiful nature. I believe this implies she loves nature and animals very dearly. She is described as a soft little girl who is in love with her new home. The demeanor with which she carries herself helps solidify the theme of innocence that follows her character. On her way back with the cow, she feels like she is a part of nature. Seeing this in the story helps strengthen her loyalty to protect nature, “… and it made her feel as if she were a part of the gray shadows and the moving leaves.”(Jewett 68)

Sylvia is described by her grandmother as being very similar to her boy Dan. While they are vaguely similar, they are most definitely not the same. Dan was a hunter who knew the forest about as well as Sylvia does. Sylvia is described to be like him but, the only similarities are they are family and they both know the forest well. Throughout the story, Sylvia is reminded of her love for nature, which helps support the good side of the good vs. evil archetype. She seems disgruntled anytime she is near someone speaking or doing something that can hurt animals or nature.

While she retrieves the old cow it is foreshadowed that something bad may happen later. On their way home, they are described as walking away from the light and into the darkness. Although it hints that there is nothing they could really do if they could see the retreating light or not. “They were going away from whatever light there as, and striking deep into the woods, but their feet were familiar with the path, and it was no matter whether their eyes could see it or not.”(Jewett 66)

Upon the first meeting with the tall stranger, she is very shy and weary. This may be because of the rifle on his back and the harsh-sounding whistle he announced his presence with. She also could be shy of the man due to her red-headed bully from the past. This implies that she is shy due to mild abuse. When asked what her name was and for lodging, she becomes more alarmed. Sylvia also mentions to herself that her grandmother doesn’t understand the situation to be as awful as she perceives it. She sense’s something is off and it’s related to the gun and the man.

The ornithologist would look to Sylvia from time to time with hope that she would help him find the bird. Each time she either seemed uncomfortable or disinterested. One instance that this happens is when the ornithologist speaks to Mrs. Tilley and Sylvia about the white heron, “Mrs. Tilley gave amazed attention to all this, but Sylvia still watched the toad, not divining, as she might have done at some calmer time…”(Jewett 71) This instance shows that Sylvia is subconsciously rejecting anything bad. She blocks out the evil by surrounding herself with things she loves.

After becoming friendly enough so that Sylvia was not shy or scared, she was given a jack knife by the ornithologist. This displays the stranger as a manipulative character who wishes to use Sylvia to find what he wants. The fact that the gift was a knife shows symbolism. The knife as a gift symbolizes temptation. It is likely that the stranger was hoping they could bond over learning to use the new knife. The knife was definitely a bribe that was meant to weaken the very sturdy walls of Sylvia’s consciousness. This form of temptation will not work on Sylvia. She would rather not hurt the animals she loves and states it a while after obtaining the knife. The good and innocent Sylvia would never hurt an animal.

Sylvia does not find much value in the knife since she would rather nurtur than hunt. This idea can be reinforced when taking into consideration Sylvia’s own thoughts. Her first thought on the knife was that it would be a cool treasure for someone stuck on an island. Manipulative people will often give things to children to win their trust but Sylvia’s goodness within her is far brighter than the evil within the stranger. Sylvia displays her innocence and goodness while hunting with the stranger, “…she could not understand why he killed the very birds he seemed to like so much.”(Jewett 71)

Towards the end of the story, Sylvia climbs the tallest and oldest tree in the forest with determination. She does this to find the white heron’s nest since she would be able to see everything from the top of the old tree. While climbing she is compared to a bird, her hands and feet are pinched together and clenched like the claws of a bird. That passage helps show the reader how in tune with nature she is. It symbolizes her love for nature and the want to be one with them.

The climb was long and taxing, this symbolizes the hardship Sylvia has gone through with herself. It shows that she wants to like the stranger but, he is not good like her and hurts what she loves. She was unsure if she should help him since he seemed nice enough but, she cannot stand the thought of any creature in the forest being hurt. It also shows that it is hard to pass temptation up. As she was climbing it, it became harder than she remembered; this shows that to overcome evil temptations it takes effort and determination.

The tree branches that occasionally scraped her were described as the talons or claws of a bird. This should be seen as a warning to Sylvia. If she were to do something to hurt the white heron, she would likely lose all trust from any animal she has come across and helped. The tree seemed to stretch on further; this highlights the internal struggle Sylvia went through during the strangers short stay. At the top of the tree, she trembled from exhaustion and observed the beautiful view.

When Sylvia observes the white heron fly to a nearby branch on her big old tree, she sees it cry to its mate and fly off. She is amazed at the beautiful bird and sees something to protect and nurture. Sylvia decides speaking would not be wise. She puts the defenseless birds before herself because of her innocent love for nature. Money means nothing to Sylvia as she would rather spend time with nature and appreciate it than betray it.

Critical Analysis of Short Stories: The Minister’s Black Veil, A White Heron, The Man Who was Almost a Man

The Minister’s Black Veil:

Without a doubt, the most important symbol in this story is the Black Veil. To all the people of the town, Hooper’s veil is a sign that he is trying to hide away from a sin that he has committed. Yet Hooper makes it known that he intends the veil to be a symbol of everyone’s general sinfulness. These two could mean the same thing. In other words, the people only focus on the sins of Hooper because deep down they know that they also have sins but would rather not recognize them. This veil becomes an object that the people must observe and look at every day, reminding them that everyone has sins and they should accept it. The veil serves as a reminder of every human condition. At the same time, the veil is just a simple, flimsy, piece of clothing. As soon as he is seen with it, everyone was so quick to judge. They judge him on his appearance, rather than who he is as a person behind the veil. It’s implied that Hooper doesn’t change his personality at all, and he is still a kind and genuine person. He just seems gloomier to the people. This could show us another kind of symbolism that the veil is trying to imply, don’t be so quick to judge.

A White Heron

The White Heron is a major symbol in this story. The heron represents the companionship of the natural world. And to this end, the fluctuations we see in Sylvia’s perspective on the heron represent shifts in her valuation of nature. Sylvia loses track of her fondness for all things natural when the hunter comes along and decides to find the heron and lead him to it. After finding the heron, the moment they have together changes her whole perspective. She is unable to give up its location due to the connection she has with the bird and what it represents for her. Also, the tree she grew up with is another major part to this story as it has grown alongside her as she was growing into herself. At first, she was a shy girl at the start of her climb, but at the end, as she looks down the tree she is described as a girl who has grown into herself and has become a strong and confident women who knows what she stands for. Because of her journey into maturity, she is able to resist the hunter who only wants to kill the white heron for a “specimen” and enjoy nature for its true beauty.

The Man Who was Almost a Man

I believe one of the themes of this story is the search for power. Dave is trapped in a life that he is no power in. He must obey his parents, work and never be paid, and endure all the abuses from others. The idea of owning this gun becomes an outlet for Dave. He believes this gun will not only bring him power but also show that he is a man. The death of Jenny limits this future when he is forced to repay the price for her. This story could also be about coming of age. Dave must overcome many struggles to be a mature adult. Dave discovers that owning this gun however has only brought him more responsibilities. When he realizes all the problems the gun has brought him, he leaves showing that indeed he isn’t ready to be a man. Another example of Dave not being ready for adulthood is shown through all his lies. Dave lies countless amounts of times to get a gun and avoid punishment. I also believe the gun is. symbol of power and independence. Dave sees the gun as a solution to all his problems. He believes that owning a gun would somehow bring him independence and get the older workers to stop treating him like a child. After Jenny’s death, he fantasizes about shooting Mr. Hawkin’s house which shows he has learned nothing and has only made him crave being a man even more. Personally, I think many can relate to this story. Although maybe not to this extent, many children want to grow up faster than intended. They want to stop being treated like children and want to be treated like an adult. However, none of them are aware of the responsibilities.

Party Down at the Square

This story is of a boy who witnesses a lynching. The whole town is attending this “party”. With the storm causing confusion, an airplane crashes and kills a young woman. Despite this, the crowd turns back to the death of the young black man. After the emotional experience of the night, the narrator falls ill, causing him to be mocked by his southern relatives. At this time, racism seemed to heavily exist. This is obvious by the events taking place as well as N-word being used several times throughout the story. At the square, everyone was screaming and yelling, ready to kill the man. The narrator even describes in detail on the horrible burning of him. Although he mentions wanting to leave the situation, he can’t help but keep his eyes on the sight. This is also shown when the woman was killed by the wire in the quote, ‘I was trying to see if she wasn’t blue too, or if it was just the sparks, and the sheriff drove me away.’. This also is interesting because he doesn’t show really any feelings towards the male getting burned, showing that racism could be a reason the narrator is unreliable. This example also shows a theme of this story as well. I believe the bystander effect is shown here. The narrator mentions how he is disgusted physically by the events but continues to view them. Therefore, he is fitting in and watching. He is powerless and doesn’t stand up.

Reunion

This story is written in first person by a young boy named Charlie. Throughout the story, the theme of disappointment is evident. Charlie gets no opportunity to speak to his father that he hasn’t seen in three years. Instead, at each bar and restaurant, his father is disrespectful to each of the employees that they encounter. We also have evidence to believe that Charlie’s father is a drunk. The first sign of this is when Charlie tells the readers he can smell whiskey off his father at the train station. Despite Charlie telling us that he could feel that this man was his father, there is a sense that Charlie never gets to know or understand who his father really is. At no stage does Charlie communicate with his father nor does his father truly communicate with Charlie. All Charlie sees is his father being rude to everyone and only caring about ordering alcohol. At the beginning on the story, it sounds like Charlie was excited to meet his father but by the end, it seems Charlie might regret having met his father. We can also assume alcohol is a symbol in this story. It disconnects Charlie from his father. It is possible that the author is trying to show us that people who depend on alcohol can result in an individual becoming rude and selfish. At the end of the story, Charlie tells his father he must go. Although he said he had to catch a train, it is possible that Charlie had seen enough of his father. Maybe this suggests that Charlie saw a side of his father that he didn’t know existed and maybe this goodbye suggests Charlie never saw his father again.

Doctor Jack-O-Lantern

One of the main themes in this story is the struggle for acceptance in the coming of age. The main character, Vincent, can be described as a quiet child from an orphanage with poor hygiene who became lonely and rebellious after moving to his new school. When Vincent arrived at his new school, his school mates made fun of him. Not only were his teeth green, the clothes he went to school in were very old and to small. The ridicule he faced made him feel very lonely and depressed. After making up a story and lying to the whole class, he was outcastes even more by his classmate. Vincent then spent the next few days hiding in an alley due to the constant verbal abuse he was receiving. After having enough, he writes bad words on the walls in the alley way. He never really got into much trouble; however, he lies once more an tells some boys that Miss Price beat him with a ruler for it. The boys realize what a great mood she is in and realizes that Vincent is lying again. They start joking and making fun of him. Vincent, embarrassed, runs and draws dirty pictures of Miss Price on the wall. To me, this story is a perfect example of why not to lie. Vincent, trying to fit in, lies to try to be one of the crowds. Vincent discovered all too well the negative effects of lying. Because of his lying, he ended up sealing the fate of not being accepted. I am sure we have all lied and experienced the negative effects of lying, but we must learn from our mistakes unlike Vicent had in the beginning.

Dead Men’s Path

The story begins with Obi being appointed as headmaster of Ndume Central School. Obi believes in bringing “modern methods” to the school and believes the others are less educated because they still carry on the older traditions. The primary conflict in this story is between old traditions and new ones. This is shown through the ‘almost disused path’. They view these as more sophisticated and progressive for the children. The garden is meant to be a visual symbol of the separation of the village and its past ways from the school and its future potential. Once obi confronts a teacher about the path, the teacher explains the cultural importance and how it links the village shrine to the villagers ‘place of burial’. Obi becomes angered and wants it blocked off. Through this, the priest shows us, despite his physical shortcomings, he will use every bit of his limited energy to advocate for the history and rites of his community. The battle the priest alluded to happens and Obi’s school is left in shambles by the village or the priest who likely did it as a way of standing up for their ancient traditions and way of life. The school does need to be introduced to new and modern ways of learning. We can’t stay stuck in the past forever, although I don’t believe it should be shut out completely. Online schooling is an example of these new and modern teachings. This is something good that has developed from modern teachings.