"Doe Season"

In the story "Doe Season" by David Kaplan, I do believe the woods and the ocean symbolize Andy's transition from childhood to adulthood.

The Woods, "they were always the same woods"(Kaplan 456). The woods are comfortable and unchanging like her childhood. They were the same woods that lay behind her house, and they stretch all the way to here, she thought, for miles and miles, longer than I could walk in a day, or a week even, but they are still the same woods" (456). Andy was very familiar with the woods and even though the forest was so large she was still comfortable. This is alot like childhood, because your life is more routine and big decisions are usually made for you. Life is just simply easier and less stressful. Having loving parents like Andy's im sure helps this.

During the trip, Andy recalls her vacation to the New Jersey shore. "That was the first time she'd seen the ocean, and it frightened her"(459). "It was huge and empty, yet always moving. Everything lay hidden"(459). This is alot like her journey to adulthood and her experience of shooting her first deer, scary. Life as an adult is always changing, and there are always new challanges to face. Life can be scary sometimes, you never know what tomorrow will bring. Life is full of new experiences that can change your outlook. Like how Andy's experience with hunting changed her outlook and decision to no longer be "Andy".