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Compare And Contrast A White Heron And The Revolt Of Mother

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“A White Heron” versus “The Revolt of Mother” Female roles in society have often been minute. In Jewett’s “A White Heron” and Freeman’s “The Revolt of Mother”, Sylvia and Mother demonstrate feminine empowerment. These two prominent female protagonists overcome the male influence in their life and society. Both defy social expectations of women and the obstacles that come with it. The authors express this through their similar use of symbolism and alienation. Jewett and Freeman use different examples of poverty, the motivation of society, and speech in their stories. “A White Heron” and “The Revolt of Mother” express symbolism through the color white. The color white is prominent in the title “A White Heron”. Sylvia presents herself to …show more content…

The minister then questions her but after his unsuccessful attempt, Mother’s actions become a scandal throughout the town because “any deviation from the ordinary course of life in this quiet town was enough to stop all progress in it” (C670). This does not bother Mother and she successfully continues with her plans. By overcoming this alienation both characters achieve feminine empowerment. Although Jewett and Freeman both have poverty-stricken female protagonists, each women’s intentions are driven by different circumstances. Even though Sylvia’s house is described as “the best thrift of an old-fashioned farmstead, though on such a small scale that it seemed like a hermitage”, being poor is not what prompts Sylvia’s motives. She is driven by animal rights to seize the power to make her own decision to reveal the heron’s location. Whereas, the barn is much nicer than the house that Mother and the children currently live in. Mother interrogates father, stating, “you’re lodgin’ your dumb beasts better than you are your own flesh an’ blood. I want to know if you think it’s right” (C666). The sense of poverty within the decomposing house influences Mother to go against father and make the barn into their new updated living quarters. The circumstances that both protagonists were confronted with fueled their compassion to overcome the obstacles each were faced with. Granted both stories are set in New

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