Using “White Heron” to Boost Students’ Empathy on Environmental Issue

Mia Fitria Agustina, M. A.

mia.fitria.agustina@gmail.com

English Literature, FIB, UNSOED, Purwokerto

Abstracts

The paper mainly discusses on how Jewett’s “White Heron” has a big
contribution to make students be aware of environmental issue especially about animal
extinction. Through the story, students learn how the main character, Sylvia, fights her
own self to save a precious animal, a white heron. In the story, a hunter tries hard to catch
the animal, and he does anything necessary to get the animal including giving Sylvia ten
dollars. However, it is not about the money that makes the story is far more interesting,
yet it is about Sylvia’s heart as she falls in love with the sportsman. As a girl, falling in
love is one important cycle that leads him or her to be more mature. Thus, this case is
thought-provoking to be studies further since this is a way to create alertness on
environmental issues. Finally, in the end, through discussion, it is hoped that students are
going to acquire the knowledge to shape their character to be more empathy toward
nature.

Keywords: White Heron, Character, and environmental issue

1. Introduction

We still remember a few months ago when forest fire caused so many
environment problems. People died because they hard to breath, people had sore eyes
because of the smoke, and people could not do their activities which effect on their lives.
Not only humans, but also animals and plants got the effects on forest fire. We still
remember a photograph shown how a monkey died as it got burn; moreover, plants were
not survived as the heat struck them. Who can be blamed because of that? The solid
answer is humans themselves. They are too greedy to explore the nature. The more profit,
the more destruction. In the name of the development, humans take whatever it can be
taken without considering the results. Hence, when it comes to the consequences, humans
may only regret on what they have done before.

Seeing that the problem is so crucial, it is necessary to take action immediately.

There are so many ways to build understanding about the environment problems. One of
those is using literature to promote awareness on the nature. As literature has so many
benefits, and one of that is enabling us to develop perspectives on events occurring
locally and globally, and thereby it gives us understanding and control (Roberts, 2003),
giving knowledge to understanding nature through literature is something that is possible
to do. Moreover, using one of new literary criticism called by eco-criticism, the messages
needed to be delivered are easier to be understood.

Ecocriticism is the study of the relationship between literature and physical

environment (Glotfelty, 1996). It connects literature and the physical environment
used earth-centered approach to do the research. Thus, the ecocriticism theory is a theory
which combines ecology and earth study in literary works and it is acting like a bridge
between the literary works and the environmental issue happened in the surrounding.

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Then, ecocriticism may act as a tool for critical response between the texts and the
environmental issues that people are not yet hear about it. It also becomes a tool for
critical response to unheard dialogue between the text and the environmental issues.
Finally, Barry (2002) says that the ecocentred reading on the house and it environs.

Since animals are also part of the environs, talking about them may give a lot
advantages to the future of our place to live. Moreover, study of the relations between
animals and humans in the Humanities is split between philosophical consideration of
animal rights and cultural analysis of the representation of animals (Garrad, 2004).
Besides, animals also have many roles to keep our earth in harmonious condition. They
have jobs to sustain our ecology. They give their lives to humans to make humans can
carry on they lives. In an article entitled “Importance of Animals and Plants in
Ecosystem”, it is mentioned that

Every little animal within the ecosystem has a vital role in the well-being of the
planet. If one species is rendered extinct due to some imbalance, it can have
significant cascading effects throughout the rest of the chain. For example even a
small bee is in fact a crucial worker in the factory of nature.

Therefore, it cannot be denied that animals hold crucial job to maintain our environment.

Besides, one of a literary work which talks about animal issue is a short story
entitled “White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. In that short story the main issue is about
animal extinctions, a white heron. The issue is very appropriate to be used as a way to
promote the sustainable earth. The issue is also important to be introduced to young
Indonesian generation as Indonesia is home of many animals which many of them are
going to be extinct soon. Thus, this paper is going to discuss how Jewett’s “White Heron”
has a big contribution to make students be aware of environmental issue especially about
animal extinction.

Research Method

This research method discusses about type of research, data source, technique of
data collection, and technique for data analysis. The type of research is qualitative method
as this paper involves an interpretive, naturalistic approach to the subject matter (Denzin,
Norma, and Lincoln, 2000:3).

Furthermore, there are two kinds of data in this paper. Those are primary data and
supporting data. The primary data are taken from a short story entitled “A White Heron”
by Sarah Orne Jewett. Therefore, monologues, dialogues, and narrations in the novel
which explain about ecological issue especially about the important of animals are sorted
as the data. While, supporting data are taken from books, magazines, journals, essays, and
articles. Those supporting data are necessary to strengthen the findings in answering how
Jewett’s “White Heron” has a big contribution to make students be aware of
environmental issue especially about animal extinction.

Then, technique for data collection is conducted through several steps. Those
steps are reading and re-reading, note taking, and data reducing. Reading and re-reading
are done to get the comprehension of the subject of the study. After that, note taking is
conducted to get data needed to answer how Jewett’s “White Heron” has a big
contribution to make students be aware of environmental issue especially about animal

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extinction. Finally, the next step is data reduction which is important to be done as this
step determines the data used to answer the ecological problem.

The last is technique for data analysis. The data which are collected and sorted in
the previous process are examined and interpreted based on the ecological problems
found in the short story. In this step the sorted data is presented and explained. Next, after
presenting and explaining, the data is going to be interpreted. This step involves
supporting data to strengthen the finding. Moreover for some data, the implicit one, they
are significant to be explored further. Thus, the interpretation also needs more process to
make the finding more valid and more reliable.

Discussion

This part is going to answer the purpose of this paper which is how Jewett’s
“White Heron” has a big contribution to make students be aware of environmental issue
especially about animal extinction. To answer this question, intrinsic elements are
needed. Anderson (1993) divides basic building blocks of fiction into four, namely, plot,
characters, setting, theme, and point of view. That is why, there will be four parts to
figure out the finding.

1. Plot

Plot is a series of related episodes. It creates suspense or anxious curiosity.

According to Little (1963), the elements of plot are exposition, conflict, suspense, climax,
and resolution. To begin with, exposition is the presentation of the information necessary
for the plot to get under way. Since the first part or the exposition of “A White Heron”,
the readers have been introduced on the beautiful of the setting. In the short stories, it is
described that, “The woods were already filled with shadows one June evening, just
before eight o'clock, though a bright sunset still glimmered faintly among the trunks of
the trees.” It can be seen in that quotation that the readers since the first moment has got
presentation on the beauty of the light. The illustration shows how beautiful sunset is
among the trunks of the trees. If we correlate this fact with what happens nowadays, we
live in the era where the glimmered sunset may only see among buildings. These are not
as beautiful as if we see it through tress. The reflections may not have meaning as strong
as if they are watched in the nature. The energy is also different as trees are considered as
living creatures. Einstein postulates that energy cannot be created and destroyed, and it
can only be changed from one form to another. Hence, by enjoying nature, the energy
may be changed. Human will receive the energy from the nature and vice versa. We may
remember that human need D vitamin. The vitamin may be got from the sun;
furthermore, plants need CO2 from human respiration to do photosynthesis. Based on this
discussion, it can be concluded that the first part of the story has just given the point of
view about the nature. Surely this can boost students’ awareness on ecology.

The next part is conflict. It may about man against nature, man against man, or
man against himself. In the short stories there are some conflicts, yet there is one
interesting conflict. It is about a whistle described as

Suddenly this little woods-girl is horror-stricken to hear a clear whistle not very
far away. Not a bird's-whistle, which would have a sort of friendliness, but a
boy's whistle, determined, and somewhat aggressive. Sylvia left the cow to
whatever sad fate might await her, and stepped discreetly aside into the bushes,
but she was just too late. The enemy had discovered her, and called out in a very

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 cheerful and persuasive tone, "Halloa, little girl, how far is it to the road?" and
trembling Sylvia answered almost inaudibly, "A good ways."

The conflict exemplified in the quotation is about the emergence of the hunter. It scared
the girl. The girl was more afraid seeing the hunter rather than when she was late to come
home although she had to take the unfamiliar wood path. She enjoyed the journey. It is
illustrated by she was not often in the woods so late as this, and it made her feel as if she
were a part of the gray shadows and the moving leaves. The part saying that she was the
part of gray shadows and the moving leaves indicate she loves to be in the nature. That is
why, although both are terrifying experience, Sylvia, the main character in the short story,
thinks that being in the wood is far better than meeting the hunter. This fact also talks that
the nature is not harm us. The nature protects us on its own ways. Furthermore, it
sacrifices herself to help humans carry on their lives. Hence, the discussion with the
students about this can be developed into other ecological issues that surely the discussion
will provoke students’ understanding on the environment

Furthermore, suspense sets up at least two opposing forces. In the short story, the
suspense is about how Sylvia considers her feeling on the hunter and her thought on
protecting the bird, a white heron. She thinks about it again and again. As a girl who
experiences love for the first time, she tends to follow what she is feeling. However, as
she loves nature especially the bird, she hesitates to tell where it is to the hunter. This can
lead the students to reflect on what has been faced by Sylvia. Mostly, as the students have
the same background, such as, age and experience, they will completely understand
Sylvia’s emotion. Moreover, if they are reminded that they have something they like so
much to be traded with the feeling, the students will have the same difficulties to choose
which of which.

Climax, then, is a major crisis or turning point in the whole action of a plot. In the
story it is about Sylvia’s decision. At first she wanted to tell the sportsman about the bird,
but then she changed her mind. She comes with the result that she must protect the bird
even though another reward, 10 dollars, was waiting for her. That time, it is a quite
amount of money. This case can help the teacher to boost the students understanding on
nature that loosing animals especially those which are endanger can be disadvantages for
human in the future.

The last is the resolution. It is the conclusion of the conflict. In the end of the
story, it can be said that Sylvia did not regret with her decision although sometimes she
remembers the sportsman. His present sometimes also reminds Sylvia about what she had
felt. However, the memory with the bird is far more precious for Sylvia. This is what the
teacher can share to the students to raise the students’ concern on the nature

2. Characters

Character is a verbal representation of a human being as presented to us by

authors through the depiction of actions, conversations, descriptions, reactions, inner
thoughts and reflection, and also through the author’s own interpretive commentary
(Roberts, 2003). The protagonist is central to the action, moves against an antagonist and
exhibits the ability to adapt to new circumstances. In the story the protagonist is Sylvia,
while the antagonist is the hunter. Sylvia is definitely a protagonist since she is the central
of the story; hence, the hunter is also unquestionably an antagonist since he is against
Sylvia. From those characters, we have learned that Sylvia protects the animals from the
danger caused by the sportsman. In real class discussion, the students learn that in this

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world there will be two groups. One is for the nature, and another is against it. The
students also have a real example on how they can save the nature. Through a simple way
the students then learn that they may help nature just because they throw rubbish in
dustbin. Therefore, from the characters in the short story, the students may have real
examples on how and why they have to have empathy to mother’s nature.

3. Setting

Setting is the natural, manufactured, political, cultural, and temporal

environment, including everything that characters know and own (Roberts, 2003). In the
story the setting is definitely in the wood where the heron is. By that kind of setting that
exposes about natural beauty, the story illustrates that the natural beauty must be
protected. This kind of beauty may no longer exist if we ignore to maintain it. By using
and discuss the setting, students will learn that it is crucial to maintain the nature. Nature
gives a lot for humans, so humans must repay what the nature gives to us. Therefore, it
can be said that the story can help the student to understand more on the place where they
live.

4. Theme

The fourth part of building block is theme. Theme is the main idea the story
express about life and people. “A White Heron” short story has environment theme. It is
about an endanger animal hunted by a sportsman. Through this kind of story, the students
then know that it is important to protect the endanger animals. It is not only for this
moment, but also for the next future. Without preserving the animals our great grand-
children may only see some animals on the cinema or TV or museums. This will certainly
be a sad story. Moreover, the ecology may not also be in balance condition. Hence
through the time, the consciousness about the nature will be increasing.

5. Point of View

Omniscient narrator is a point of view seeing all the different parts of the
narrative with equal clarity (Toner and Whittome, 2007). The narrator knows everything.
This is kind of point of view in “A White Heron”. The narrator knows well the feeling of
Sylvia. The narrator also knows that she has a big problem to reconcile with her own self
because of the hunter. She is in the middle between telling or not where the heron is.
Through this kind of point of view, the students will feel closer to Sylvia because they
know how she feels. This will certainly promote the students to be more aware on
environmental issues, and act to solve it no matter the consequences they may get
including broken hearted.

Conclusion

Based on the discussion, through 4 building blocks, the students will be more
empathy towards nature. Those building blocks are plot, characters, setting, theme, and
point of view. In plot through it structures it can be seen that the story helps the students
to be more sensitive toward ecological issues. Characters may also promote the
understanding on nature problems. Knowing that a character help nature or protect it,
students will see, understand and do the same. Setting in the story which is also in the
nature may raise the awareness of the students. Then, theme which is about nature also
asks the students to participate to protect the nature. Finally point of view can vividly
show how the protagonist feeling that makes the students also feel the same.

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