Critical Analysis: Gender Criticism in Sarah O. Jewett: A White Heron

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Gender Criticism in Sarah O. Jewett: A White Heron
Introduction
The author of this piece centralizes on the idea of ecofeminism in demarcating the relationships that exist between men and women. The author clear denotes the manner in which the female characters are dominated; first, as domestic workers and secondly as industrial laborers. On the other hand, the male characters are depicted as employers who exploit women not only in their work but also in knowledge.
Additionally, the author details the relationship between men and nature by proving that men perceive nature as a resource aimed at achieving their capitalistic objectives. Women, as depicted in this piece, are considered as closer to nature than men, thus ascribing women as dear friends of nature. However, since men are the primary dominants of nature and women, women and nature seek for atonement in a bid to liberate themselves from the male dominion.
Thesis:
The aim of this paper remains in critically evaluating the relations between men, women, and nature as detailed in Sarah O Jewett’s piece “A White Heron” in a bid to prove her ecofeminism view.
Gender Criticism in Sarah O. Jewett: A White Heron
The works of Jewett in “The White Heron” provides a narrative of a young protagonist girl named Sylvia who moved to settle with her grandmother in their rural land from the city. Sylvia felt that the farmland was better than life in the town regarding the creatures that existed and the beauty of nature, including her kind grandmother. Her adventure in the farmland is one day intruded by a young village man with a gun hunting for a heron. The young man asks Sylvia where the bad is and offers money in return (Pryse, pp. 517). The story ends when the author pinpoints the strength of Sylvia in protecting nature from the intrusion of an ego-centric man. Thus the author clearly proves the manner in which women and nature cohere and can work together towards liberating themselves from the male-dominant society. In light of the views of some feminists, the actions of Sylvia clearly establish the power women hold in nurturing and are better placed to act as managers of the natural resources as compared to men. Women within the capitalist society that is predominantly dominated by men have their jobs well defined for them and are in most cases explo...