"Sight"

   There are three topics in this short story by Rebekah Beall that I found to be really interesting. The use of noises, the appearance of the heron and the on going watching of more nature based television programs.
    The heron in the story is shown going out on to the water and picking up a little fish and taking it back to the shore and eating it. The narrator then talks about watching the fish go down the throat of the heron and the slight changes the heron's body had to make to accommodate the food. Herons typically symbolize strength and wisdom, but it also going with the flow of mother natures trials and tribulations. This is literally shown not only in the scene of the heron eating the fish, but also when the narrator mentions the mother giving birth. A baby being born being the human body going through natural stages.
   She also talks about only liking to watch Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. I'm not exactly sure what this represents but maybe it is because these television channels are completely factual but still unpredictable. The animals that are on these shows live in certain habits, are accustomed to certain weather and eat certain types of food. However, even though their lives are pretty predictable there are times when something unexpected happens-a predator attack, sudden extreme weather change ect. This goes back to the use of light and darkness. Every time she enters a new room she turns the lights on and is ready for anything to happen. The dark is a part of our everyday lives but we are never sure what is hiding in the dark. Darkness is like the animals on the television shows, it is a park of life and we know that there will always be darkness in life but it can also be surprising.
  Noises are also sporadically placed through out the story. There is a microwave ding, the sound of buzzing lights and the dangle of mace on a key chain. I felt like these noises helped the narrator to separate reality from daydream. Several times when she begins to become paranoid or start to daydream a real life noise comes in snaps her back from the dream. Possibly what helps to keep her from really loosing her mind. I think that we all have these times!