What’s Up With the Title?

"A White Heron" is about a white heron, obviously, but it's also about a whole lot more. In the story, a girl named Sylvia is offered ten dollars to locate a rare white heron for an eager hunter. But while Sylvia does, in fact, know where to find the bird, she is unsure about whether she's willing to lead the hunter there to kill the poor thing. The title, then, is a shout-out to her decision-making process. As for the heron, well, it packs a wallop as a symbol, so you should probably hop over to the "Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory" section now to learn more about it.