Q: Why do we like stories about growing up? Q: Archetypically speaking, how are trees, temples/pyramids, and gods related? Q: What principles of conservation exist within regionalist literature? Q: What is feminism, and how can it help us understand American regionalist literature of the late 19th Century?

Why do we like stories about growing up? At this station, you must explore the bildungsroman archetype and connect it to the motif and leitmotif in the story. Hint: If you haven’t gone to the archetype/axis mundi station, you will need to define an archetype before you can understand a bildungsroman. How is a bildungsroman an archetype? What are motifs and leitmotifs? How do they help to reinforce a theme(s)? Once you define bildungsroman, list at least 5 stories/movies that are bildungsromans. Hint: Iron Man is a bildungsroman. So is The Little Mermaid. What motifs and leitmotifs do you notice in these stories? Hint: “A White Heron” contains one major leitmotif. What is it? Double Hint: You might want to check out the Latin origin of the protagonist’s name for help with this one. Triple Hint: Tweet, tweet. How does “A White Heron” serve as a bildungsroman? Can you identify the stages of Sylvia’s journey to adulthood? What is the dilemma she faces as her test into maturity? Does she make the right choice?

Archetypically speaking, how are trees, temples/pyramids, and gods related? Using the resources at your station, please define archetype (p in your lit book) and discuss the axis mundi as an archetype. How do the depictions of the axis mundi in the books about mythology and world religions help you understand the universality and the power of the axis mundi? Why do you think that almost every culture contains some depiction of the axis mundi? In the resources provided, please try to find at least seven different depictions of the axis mundi. Why are there so many depictions of trees? How does an axis mundi of a tree seem to be a universal archetype? Examine “A White Heron”. What archetype does the story contain? How does this tie into Sylvia’s dilemma and decision in the story? What happens to her when she climbs the tree? Be sure to pay attention to her spiritual awakening in the text. How is she changed? Does she mature or come back with some wisdom/enlightenment?

What principles of conservation exist within regionalist literature? Using a dictionary, please define conservation and ecology. What do these terms have to do with Jewett’s “A White Heron”? Use your book and the dictionary to define conflict (internal and external) and dilemma. What are Sylvia’s internal and external dilemmas? “A White Heron” makes an implicit ecological criticism. What might it be criticizing about American society during the late 19 th century? Are there any threats to the environment during this time? Hint: What environmental/social changes were happening on the East Coast? What might the external dilemma between Sylvia (look up the Latin root of her name “sylva”) and the young man represent? What is the young man after? How does he treat nature? How does Sylvia treat nature? What is the conflict between the two? How does this help to create Sylvia’s dilemma? How does this relate to regionalism? Why does Jewett choose to write about pastoral New England? What regional elements is she trying to capture? What political statement about conservation and ecology is she implying in the story?

What is feminism, and how can it help us understand American regionalist literature of the late 19th Century? Using Brian Moon, define feminism and examine its connection to literature. How might feminism help us understand literature? What key elements do feminist critics look for in a story? Arguably, Sarah Orne Jewett was a feminist. What major feminist concerns were occurring during the late 19 th century in America? Why might Sarah Orne Jewett choose to mix feminism and regionalism? How can feminism help us understand “A White Heron”? What are the circumstances of the two women in the story? What is their relationship with the land? Do they depend on men? What is their relationship with men? With the young hunter? Does “A White Heron” deal with questions of power or influence? How do the men treat the land? Hint: Why does Sylvia’s grandma’s son leave? How have men treated Sylvia? How does the young hunter treat Sylvia? How does he treat the animals? Notice a connection? If I told you that one of the major conflicts in the story is between the way men and women treat the land, which is a reflection on how they treat each other, what evidence could you use to support my claim? Refute it? Feminist Fact: Women will, on average, make 70 cents for every dollar that a man makes even though the woman has the same qualifications for the same job as the man. Ladies, you should be upset about this. Gentlemen, so should you.