When Sylvia gets home that night she is surprised. Sylvia’s grandmother, Mrs. Tilley allowed a young gentleman to stay the night at their home. The gentleman was a hunter. Sylvia soon finds out that she has a secret she must keep from this stranger. He was telling Mrs. Tilley about his adventures. He mentioned the sightings of a beautiful bird. “You would know the heron if you saw it, a queer tall white bird with soft feathers and long thin legs. And it would have a nest perhaps in the top of a high tree, made of sticks, something like a hawk’s nest.” (pg.123) The man described the characteristics of the bird in hopes that the young girl would have been recognized the description and revealed the heron’s hiding place. He goes on desperately, “I can’t think of anything I should like so much

Sylvia is well aware of the bird’s existence. Yet, she also understands the consequences of divulging her secret to this visitor. Sylvia is torn between two possible outcomes.

The little girl thinks, “Has she been nine years growing and now, when the great world for the first time puts out a hand to her, must she thrust it aside for a bird’s sake? The murmur of the pine’s green branches is in her ears, she remembers how the white heron came flying through the golden air and how they watched the sea and the morning together, and Sylvia cannot speak, she cannot tell the heron’s secret and give its life away.” (pg. 128) Her difficult decision shows maturity. Sylvia realizes how much a friendship means to her. She could have chose the money. Her family did need the money. But, she realized that it was important to choose friendship over money. She did realize that the guest would not be happy. If she chose friendship over money, the man would find out nothing. He would have to hunt for the bird without any guidance.

If she chose to lead the hunter to it’s prey, the girl and her grandmother would be rewarded with money. The story gives th

Some topics in this essay:
Miss Molly, White Heron”, Miss Moolly, Orne Jewett, white heron”, “a white heron”, “a white, ten dollars, , friendship money, hunt bird, difficult decision, miss moolly, sylvia realizes, sylvia aware,