Hunting Season by Joanne Greenberg
"Hunting Season" by Joanne Greenberg is a poignant narrative that explores the complex relationship between a mother and her young son, Joseph, against the backdrop of winter in a mountainous region. The story begins with Joseph's innocent desire to explore the nearby creek, a wish that brings to light the mother's conflicting feelings about safety and independence. As she reluctantly allows him to go, she layers him in bright clothing designed to protect him from hunters, signifying her deep concern for his safety in a potentially perilous environment.
The narrative delves into the mother's internal struggle, revealing her guilt and anxiety over her son's recent medication for epilepsy. This concern amplifies her fears of losing him to the dangers of both nature and his health condition. As she follows him, the story captures her realization of how little she has communicated with him amidst her protective instincts. Joseph's playful interaction with the creek stones highlights his innocence and individuality, prompting the mother to reflect on her role in his growing autonomy. Ultimately, the story presents a nuanced exploration of parental love, fear, and the inevitable process of letting go, inviting readers to consider the balance between protection and independence in a child's development.
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Hunting Season by Joanne Greenberg
First published: 1972
Type of plot: Pastoral
Time of work: The early 1970's
Locale: The western American mountains
Principal Characters:
Joseph , a young boy who suffers from epilepsyHis mother , who is extremely concerned about her son's well-being
The Story
On a winter day, Joseph, a youngster of four, nonchalantly mentions to his mother that he wants to go down to the creek near the house. The family lives in a mountainous area, where, during the winter, hunters abound, making it somewhat dangerous for young children to play in the woods. The mother, busy at household tasks, puts off her son briefly before acknowledging his request. She gives in, but only grudgingly, making sure that he is dressed warmly in a jacket that marks him out for hunters so that he will not be mistaken for a target. Additionally, she recites a litany of "dos" and "don'ts" for the boy, which he bears patiently.
When her son is gone, the mother reflects on her behavior toward him. Sorry that her son does not realize that she, too, was once young, the mother begins to realize how little time she has given to communicating with Joseph. In her fussing over details, she has "missed the important things." However, suddenly, she realizes that this day marks a week since the boy had been put on new medicine for his epilepsy. Though the doctor had assured her that there would be no ill effects, the mother nevertheless has spent the past seven days waiting for the moment when a seizure would strike. Now, her son gone off to wander in a dangerous environment, she fantasizes how he might fall into the creek and suffer a sudden seizure and drown. The mental anguish becomes too much, and she rushes out of the house to find him.
Outside, she searches for the trail that her son has taken. Carefully she picks her way over the mountain, trying to go quietly so as not to let her son know that she is after him. Finally, she spots his turquoise jacket. Trying to remain unobserved, she stalks after him, noting with indignation that he is wandering from the route that he told her he would take. In the distance, the sounds of the hunters are discernible. For a moment, the boy disappears from view, and the mother is again seized with a vision of horror. Then she spies him beside the creek. Suddenly, she realizes that she is intruding on his privacy, spying on him. For his part, the boy remains oblivious to his mother's presence. He begins to talk to the rocks across the creek, challenging them as if they were animate creatures. "You're not so tough," he shouts; he tells them that he will learn all about them, and therefore be master of them when he is old enough for school, but that they will never know about him. The outburst, delivered in a tone that the mother recognizes as one she herself uses, makes her retreat quietly to let her son engage this "world of rape and murder" alone, as he must in order to grow up.