Summary:
Sarah Orne Jewett's short story "A White Heron" enables one to see the importance of sincerely appreciating nature before acting to conserve it.
From the story "A White Heron", we realize how important it is for a human to appreciate nature before they can conserve it.
It is a typical characteristic of human to be selfish by nature. They do not want to do a thing that does not have any benefits to them. Why should they bother to protect the nature when they do not love it? But if they can appreciate nature, it will be a different story. They will surely do their best to protect it from destruction as they consider it a part of their life.
As far as in the beginning of the story, Sylvia was tempted to get the ten dollars offered by the ornithologist as she was poor. She realized there were many things she could buy if she got it. So, she was determined to find out the nest of the white heron at that point of time "Alas, if the great wave of human interest which flooded for the first time this dull little life should sweep away the satisfaction of an existence heart to heart with nature and the dumb life of the forest!" Here Sylvia was willing to sacrifice her love for nature to satisfy her desire for money. Although she was a girl she bravely climbed a white oak tree before climbing to another great pine tree in order to find out the whereabout of the heron.
However, the moment she reached the peak of the tree, she was impressed by the beauty of nature. "Truly it was a vast and awesome world." She could see the blue wide ocean and all the "wonderful sights and pageant of the world." She began to enjoy the beauty of the nature. When the young ornithologist asked her about the secret of the bird, she was in dilemma whether to tell him the truth or not. "When the great world for the first time puts out a hand to her, must she thrust it aside for a bird's sake?" Finally she decided to keep mum about it. Why she did not tell the secret? It was because her love towards nature transcended her desire for money. She had begun to love nature sincerely and as the white heron was a part of it she was willing to protect it by all means.
In the nutshell, human must first appreciate nature before they are willing to protect it.
This is the complete article, containing 401 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
