He doesn't know how to enjoy the heron the way Sylvia does, and all he can think of to do with it is to kill it and stuff it -- to bend it to his will and make it something pretty for display, and a testament to his own prowess and skill. This is indicative of the way he treats the world, as his greeting of Sylvia's grandmother on first meeting her clearly shows: "Put me anywhere you like,' he said. 'I must be off early in the morning, before day; but I am very hungry, indeed. You can give me some milk at any rate, that's plain'" (Jewett par. 12).
In addition to this attitude and what it implies for his view and treatment of the heron, there are also other indicators regarding Sylvia's sexual awakening in the story. On her way home through the woods at the very...
[ View Full Essay]