David Kaplan's Short Story 'Doe Season'

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"People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates," Thomas Szasz (1973). In David Kaplan's short story, "Doe Season," Andy is a young girl struggling to discover who she is or she wants to be, often doing things to fit in; however, through the course of a few unlikely events, she is finally able to truly find out who she is. Kaplan uses the sport of hunting and the cruelities of killing to illustrate the differences in the sport between men adn women. He also uses the dream and the owl to help illustrate the "final realization." Owls have generally been thought to be symbols of wisdom, often being brought up with dreams. The owl which had "woke…show more content…
Hunting has typically been something fathers passed down to their sons; however, in Kaplan's story he writes about a young girl who goes on a hunting trip with her dad. Being the only girl surrounded by 3 other men, Andy had a desire to impress them. When she first spots the doe, her father gives her the shot to kill it because she was the one to spot it. In fear of being called a girl or chicken, Andy takes aim; however, she cannot find the will to pull the trigger. Finally after Charlie about stole her shot, her father asked, "do you want to shoot it, pumpkin?" After a a little hesitation, and another rant from Charlie, Andy says yes, and shoots. After being very hesitant to shoot, she finally stuck him, and while all the men were dancing around celebreating, Andy though to herself "What did I just do." Andy's first step in the coming of age process was complete. Unlike all the men she had tried to not let down, she felt guilty about killing an innocent creature. In conclusion, Kaplan uses the short story "Doe Season" to convey the "coming of age" story for a young girl. The affect of peer pressure is increasing every year because more and more people are like Andy. When young, children are influenced by everyone around them, often leading to trouble. The influence of the men around Andy affected her decision to shoot and kill the doe. While frantically avoiding the death scene she had created, Andrea knew she would no longer be called Andy any more, "Charlie Spoon and Mac and her father crying Andy, Andy (but that wasn't her name, she would no longer be called
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