Topic > The use of literary devices in A White Heron

In “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett, the adventure of a young heroine is made fascinating by exploring the essence of her character before, during and after her symbolic victory of the great, great pine tree. Sylvia's journey from the bottom to the top of the tree represents her development and struggles as she goes from a “little and silly” girl to a “pale star,” fully grown and willing to take on the world. The tree itself is symbolic of a father figure, whose guidance is needed “has scratched her angry claws” and supports her “firmly to keep her from falling when she seeks protection. For Sylvia, who is just a little girl, starting to explore the property is quite a journey. It is Jewett's responsibility, in written work, to embody Sylvia's perspective. In capturing the heroine's rise, the author dramatizes the child's magical experience in the eyes of adults by using diction, imagery, narrative pace, and point of view to transform this young girl's efforts into an adventure . plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay To make Sylvia's adventure very complete, the author uses images. Jewett makes the story more believable to the audience by illustrating the scenes Sylvia sees. The author uses imagery at the beginning of her writing to form a picture of the immense scenery surrounding the tree Sylvia is about to climb. “…the loggers who had felled his companions had died and disappeared long ago, and a whole forest of sturdy trees, pines, oaks, and maples, had grown up again. But the majestic head of this old pine towered above them all and was a landmark to the sea and the coast, miles and miles away... There was the huge tree still sleeping in the pale moonlight, and the little and silly Sylvia began with the utmost courage to climb to the top. the upper part...". First of all, the viewer sees the reality regarding Sylvia and the pine tree. However, we can also guess the volume and size of the pine. Realizing that this tree was the largest Sylvia had ever heard of, and that it was visible from the sea, brought a sense of risk and anticipation to the scene. Having good syntax tends to express the effect this experience has on Sylvia. The choice of words is the secret of every literary work. In this scenario, diction is often used to illustrate how true everything seems, not only to the writer, but also to Sylvia. Even if the literal representation of the story is composed by the narrator, the use of effective descriptive terms will seem realistic to the audience. Jewett uses diction, along with imagery, to dramatize the story. His choice of words exaggerates the story. He states, “At last he crawled out along the swaying branch of the oak and took the bold step into the old pine.” The words “crawling,” “swaying,” and “bold” add to the excitement of the event. Using these phrases, Sylvia faces the threat of climbing an oak tree. Jewett continues to write: "Sylvia's face was like a pale star, if one had seen it from the ground, when the last thorny branch had passed, and she stood trembling and tired but quite triumphant, high on the top of the tree". The terms “pale star,” “trembling,” “tired,” and “utterly triumphant” accentuate Sylvia's struggle in her adventure, as well as her success. Jewett's diction worked extremely to enhance Sylvia's adventure. Jewett drew a narrative of Sylvia's discovery and made it more meaningful by incorporating symbolism to his advantage and using diction. Imagination constructed the setting of the adventure and the diction of.