David Kaplan Doe Season Essay Example

of getting wet. In terms of character, Andy relates more to her father rather than her mother.

Andy feels uncomfortable with the naturalness of womanhood, as evidenced when her mother's top falls down in the ocean. This incident embarrasses Andy, prompting her to quickly look around and check if anyone has noticed. Meanwhile, Andy doesn't seem to care whether anyone notices how ridiculous her father looks while trying to stay dry in the water. The mention of "nipples like two dark eyes" represents Andy's belief that femininity is more grotesque than elegant or beautiful. Despite denying her feminine side, there is still a sense of innocence in her complete understanding of masculinity.

According to the text, Andy does not mind the idea of camping with Mac because she sees herself as one of the men. Mac also recognizes that Andy does not fully understand the experience of being male. Andy's limited knowledge about male anatomy suggests that she does not have a real understanding of it. Similarly, her lack of knowledge about hog dressing a buck highlights her innocence regarding traditional male rituals. Andy's father has always seen her more as a son than a daughter. The teasing about her name upsets and hurts Andy.

According to Kaplan (p 392), everyone was looking at her, causing her to desire to distance herself from them, including her father who chose to joke with them. She had to come to terms with the fact that, despite being able to relate to her father more than her mother, Andy is indeed a female and was even named Andrea. Putting the joking aside, Andy takes a

short walk, which symbolizes her journey towards a new understanding and acceptance of her feminine side. In this moment, Andy realizes for the first time how different she is from the others on the trip, much like a vulnerable and developing doe.

The death of the doe represents the end of the familiarity that Andy has always felt towards her father. According to Kaplan (p 393), Andy later reflects, "I felt the recoil, I smelled the smoke, but I don't remember pulling the trigger." In a way, Andy was hesitant to let go of her emotions associated with her father. When the doe rises again, it evokes a mix of relief and sheer terror for Andy. This symbolizes her internal struggle during the trip, as she realizes how different she truly is from Mac, Charlie, and her own father.

Despite the encouragement from Andy's father, the group was unsuccessful in locating the wounded doe. Later on, Andy confronted her internal conflicts directly in her dreams. Her dreams shifted from envisioning the woods during the journey to hunting locations to specifically focusing on the doe that was shot. In her dream, Andy encountered the doe and removed its heart. This act was symbolic of both the process of giving birth and the menstrual cycle experienced by women. The dream ended with Andy's hand being released, accompanied by a gushing rush of blood.

According to Kaplan (p 396), the following day, Andy would examine her hand and realize that it had "felt weak and withered," representing her acceptance of her femininity. Throughout one's life, a parent offers guidance through holding their child's hand. When

Andy killed the doe, she severed the connection and similarity between herself and her father. The concluding paragraph illustrates the most noticeable evidence of the bond being broken between Andy and her father.

Throughout the hunting trip, Andy was consistently referred to as "Andy," even though it wasn't her real name and she no longer wanted to be called that. This experience had a significant impact on Andy's journey towards independence and self-acceptance as a woman. The killing of a female deer, group dynamics, and a powerful dream all contributed to this transformation. Furthermore, amidst the group's calls, the sound of wind rustling through treetops brought back memories of Andy's mother by the ocean. Just like Andy had changed without her father's influence, the woods themselves had also undergone transformations and were no longer uniform.