Sylvia's path to making her decision is reminiscent of the traditional hero's journey or Bildungsroman. To evolve from innocence to maturity, or from an ordinary individual to a hero, Sylvia must undergo a ritual test to prove her worth and strength. She feels at ease in the forest and often senses a deep connection with nature. However, this relationship with nature has never been truly challenged. Appropriately, her trial involves a literal climb to a higher point, enabling her to view the world from above. When Sylvia approaches the tallest tree on the highest hill, "the last of its generation," she is unsure of what to do next. She has often fantasized that from the peak of this tree, she might see the ocean, but she has never dared to climb it. Jewett describes this climb using the terminology of hero myths: "What a spirit of adventure, what wild ambition! What fancied triumph and delight and glory." As Sylvia begins "with utmost bravery to mount to the top of it," the birds and squirrels reprimand her, and the thorns and twigs seem to deliberately snag her. Yet, as she climbs with determination, the mighty tree itself seems to aid her, until she finally reaches the summit: "Sylvia’s face was like a pale star, if one had seen it from the ground . . . and she stood trembling and tired and wholly triumphant."

However, her trial is not yet complete. Sylvia still believes that her accomplishment is for the hunter. She anticipates returning to him, claiming the reward, and earning his love and admiration. She is taken aback to realize (although the reader is not) that in the end, she cannot reveal the heron's nesting place. She has successfully completed the test and emerged more resilient, wiser, and mature. Like the typical young hero, she has undergone rites of passage, even though she does not yet fully grasp the full extent of her newfound power.