THE REALISTSWOMEN WRITERS

Miss BennettAmerican Literature II

Sarah Orne Jewett

Known for Short Stories

Anthologies

Mastery of “local-color” pieces—works that strive to accurately depict the culture and lifestyle of a particular area.

Jewett’s “A White Heron”

Main characters Sylvia The Young Man Mrs. Tilley (Sylvie’s grandmother)

Setting The Maine countryside/forest

Jewett describes the natural world that Sylvie seems to flourish in with realistic detail. It is this world that Sylvie seems comfortable in, even though she came from a bustling city.

Jewett’s “A White Heron”

At first Sylvie is wary of the stranger she met when bringing the cow home to milk.

She learns that he likes to study birds and agrees to help him find the elusive white heron that he has been looking for. As they search, she wonders why he wants to kill the

birds that he claims to be so fond of. Sylive is conflicted because she wants to please

the young man and feels a sort of attraction to him. But she is also uncomfortable around him and is

glad that they search in silence.

Jewett’s “A White Heron”

Sylvie uses an extremely tall pine tree to help her find the white heron. However, she cannot

show the hunter where the bird is because she knows that if she does, its life will be over.

Later, she regrets her decision and wonders if saving the life of the bird was worth losing the young man

“A White Heron” Questions to Consider

Are Sylvie and the heron alike? If so, how?

What is the significance of Sylvia’s name?

Why is the heron so important to Sylvie?

Kate Chopin

Known for Writing about the Acadian region

of Louisiana

Creating main female characters who are torn between the demands of marriage and their own freedom and independence

Chopin’s “At The ‘Cadian Ball”

Main characters Bobinôt Alcée Laballière Calixta Clarisse

Setting Acadia (South Louisiana)

Chopin accurately depicts the culture that the characters live in.

Chopin’s “At the ‘Cadian Ball” Bobinôt is a likeable fellow, but he is a

farmer of low class. He loves Calixta, a beautiful girl of mixed

heritage who is also lower class. Alcée Laballière is a wealthy Creole

planter with whom Calixta is in love. Alcée has a history with Calixta and has

affection for her, but he also seems to be attracted to Clarisse, his mother’s god-daughter.

Chopin’s “At the ‘Cadian Ball” Babinôt is jealous because Calixta

prefers Alcée and goes to the ball to keep Alcée from claiming Calixta.

Alcée has just suffered a great loss of his crops from a storm and goes to the ball, hoping that having a fling will distract him from this.

Clarisse hears the sound of Alcée leaving and goes after him, being afraid of what might happen if he stays at the ball with all those other women.

Chopin’s “At the ‘Cadian Ball” When confronted by Clarisse while he is

alone with Calixta, Alcée chooses to go back home with Clarisse, effectively making the two engaged.

Seeing that she will never get Alcée, Calixta gives in to Bobinôt’s requests and agrees to marry him.

Both men seem to be satisfied with the arrangements at the end of the story.

Questions to Consider

How large a role does culture and the class system play in this story?

Will both men be happy with their marriages? What about the women?

Was Calixta right in finally accepting Bobinôt’s proposal? Was Clarisse wrong to mislead

Alcée when she came to find him?