Short Story Questions

1. Who wrote this story?

Sarah Orne Jewet

2. When?

1886

3. Where is the story set?

In New England countryside

4. In what city, state, or nation?

New England

5. In what environment?

In a poor countryside environment.

6. Describe the settings of significant scenes.

One evening Silvia is approached by a hunter, who is looking for a rare white heron which he knows has a nest in the area. The hunter is invited to her grandmother's house, where he offers to give money to any one who leads him to the bird. The hunter and Silvia go out the next morning but they do not find the bird. The following morning Silvia goes out in the woods to find the bird so she can show the hunter. When she find the bird; she gets fascinated by nature and she knows that she can not show the hunter the location of the bird.

7. What is the protagonist's name?

Silvia

8. How old is he/ she?

She is a young little girl of 9 years

10. Where is he/ she from?

She is from the city

11. What is her/ his social status?

She is poor.

12. Name the antagonist, if there is one.

The hunter is the antagonist.

13.  How old is the antagonist? 

He is young but older than Silvia.

14. Where is he/ she from?

He is from the city.

16. What does he/ she want?

He wants the White Heron

17. Describe the central conflict of the story?

After Silvia found the white heron she was in a dilemma, wondering whether to say where the bird was and be responsible for it death or keep quiet and save the bird's life.

18. (Put another way: What is the protagonist's problem exactly?

And why does he or she recognize this situation as a problem?)

            The protagonist's problem is that she has found the location of the bird which by disclosing it she would be given ten dollars that the hunter had promised. She recognized this as a problem because she was compelled by her love of nature not to tell the secret of the white heron.

19. How does the protagonist respond to the central conflict?

She decides not to disclose the location of the white heron.

20. What exactly does s/he do?

Silvia went out early in the morning to look for the location of the bird, but after finding it she is compelled by the beautiful site of nature not to tell the location of the bird. At the end she refuses to disclose it.

21. Name what you take to be the story's climax.

The story's climax is when Silvia finds the nest.

22. Describe the resolution-that is, explain how the conflict works out.

The conflict is finally resolved when Silvia refuses to disclose the location of the bird.

23. Is there a winner and a loser?

The nature and Silvia wins as the bird is not killed by the hunter.

24. Does the protagonist gain or learn anything?

The protagonist learns that her love for nature is much greater than her love for money.

25. Does the protagonist learn anything about her or himself or her or his values?

She learns not to be selfish as she finally refuses to take the money from the hunter.

26. Does the protagonist develop or mature in any clear way?

Silvia finally understands the meaning of maturity and overcomes her selfishness as a child.

27. Name the supporting characters.

Mrs. Tilley the grandmother, and Mistress Moolly the cow

28. Give their ages. Where are they from? How do they respond (if at all) to the central conflict?

They are old. They are from the countryside. Mrs. Tilley, urges Silvia to disclose the location.

29. How long does the entire action of the story take?

It takes three days.

Summary

Silvia, who is nine years old has come from the city to the countryside of New England with her grandmother. She has adapted to the new countryside life, and helps her mother to find Mistress Moolly the cow. One evening she comes across a hunter who is looking for a rare bird, the white heron. The hunter is welcome into their house and he announces that he will reward who ever helps him find the bird. Silvia helps him to look for it the first day but the second day she goes alone. After finding the bird, she is compelled by the site of nature from a tree-top that she refuses to disclose the location of the bird.