Literary Movements

• realism: internal battle of the girl, whether she should protect the beauty of nature or help her friend with his discoveries. We see a sense of realism when Silvia finds comfort and companionship with the bird and her surroundings of the wilderness.

• regionalism: Focus on the forest and the girls relationship between her and the forest. Develops the setting of very prominent descriptions using the woods, the pasture, and huckleberry bushes. ( "It was a surprise to find so clean and comfortable a little dwelling in this New England wilderness." Pg.53)

• naturalism: hunters desire to kill the bird for science

Writing Style

• Very descriptive and embellished, she creates a sense of belonging and how she has always lived there and has connection to the land which is a big part of regionalism. The way that the author writes make the reader feel the emotions as they read such as when she describes the hunter.

Literary Devices

• Lots of imagery in the setting. She paints the picture of Maine as a magical place and very sentimental place

• Irony in effect as she is this girl who likes this guy but she gives up the monetary value, being the hunter, for the sentimental value, which is the bird.

Formalist Criticism

• The structure builds up scenery of a home feeling but then contrasts that by bringing the sense of unknowingness. The way she describes convinces the readers to be aligned with Silvias thinking

One way the story reflects regionalism is through the portrayal of the simple pastures in rural Maine emphasizing the magical place with sentimental value that deserves to be remembered and valued. The author's use of irony in the passage where Sylvia goes against natural human nature and desiring the monetary value of killing the bird and instead protects the bird emphasizes the sentimental meaning that nature can have on a person and how when something is close to someone's heart, nothing is viewed as more important than that.

Realism- This story would be an example of realism because it is simply walking through the tiring lives of a family. The man is writing down the events of his day as they come. He isn't romanticizing what happens to him- but only explaining what exactly is happening to him. For example, we see him describe a woman washing clothes at the bottom of the first page. There is nothing special about this family that he describes, which is why he's describing it.

Writing Style- The author employs a descriptive prose throughout the work to explain and depict the realities of midwestern life, specifically life as a farmer. The descriptions are very honest and realistic and no details are excluded. He describes many parts of his life as a farmer with strikingly honest details and transparency.

Symbolism - One symbol we see is that of the mud pie that the children are making. It symbolizes the nonchalance and relaxation of children that occurs as a result of the midwestern lifestyle Mr. Howell is describing. Another symbol is the woman on the train, who creates a dichotomy between the simple and satisfied life on the farm and the desire to leave and find a purpose elsewhere. It also symbolizes his desire to get out and be something other than a farmer.

Structure- The structure is realistic and it effects the readers interpretations. It allows us to shift our perspective to view life through a different lens. We are able to view other people's experiences through our own experiences. By analyzing the structure of this story, we are better able to analyze how everyone experiences life differently.

In conclusion, we see that Howell primarily stresses realism by honestly describing daily occurrences in a non-distinct family in order to juxtapose being satisfied with the everyday experiences of life and desiring more.