Andy’s nickname is her shield and her costume. She wants to be “Andy” to please her father. But the story shows that identity imposed from outside—especially gendered identity—cannot survive contact with inner truth. Her final reclamation of “Andrea” is not a defeat but an assertion of self.
Charlie is the quiet, competent hunter. He is neutral, almost ghostly. He does not push Andy. But his silence is also a form of complicity.
Over three decades since its publication, "Doe Season" remains a touchstone for discussions of gender, identity, and coming of age. It avoids cliché by refusing to offer its protagonist a comforting resolution. Andy does not simply decide to "be a girl"; she is irrevocably changed by violence and is left in a state of in-betweenness. The story’s power lies in its unflinching look at the pain of growing up—the realization that gaining a new part of yourself often means losing another. It is a masterpiece of economy, using a single weekend in the woods to map the vast, turbulent inner world of a child on the verge of becoming someone new. Doe Season By David Michael Kaplan Full Text
“Doe Season” has become a staple of short story anthologies (e.g., The Story and Its Writer , The Art of the Short Story ) and is frequently taught in high schools and colleges. Critics praise its economy, its psychological depth, and its unflinching look at gender socialization. Some have compared it to Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” (another story about a girl rejecting a family’s gendered labor). Kaplan’s story is darker and more violent, but both share a feminist revision of the initiation narrative.
The hunt is a ritual designed to induct Andy into a male world of stoicism, violence, and dominance over nature. But Andy’s failure to shoot the doe is not a failure of character—it is a successful resistance to that induction. Kaplan subverts the classic hunting story (like Hemingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”) by having the protagonist reject the kill. Andy’s nickname is her shield and her costume
4.5/5 stars
Throughout the story, Kaplan's writing is characterized by its lyricism, sensitivity, and depth. His use of language is evocative and immersive, drawing the reader into the world of the story and refusing to let go. The characters are multidimensional and relatable, with their own distinct voices and perspectives. Her final reclamation of “Andrea” is not a
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In one of the most quietly devastating scenes in modern short fiction, Andy fires. The doe doesn’t die immediately. It cries—a sound “like a baby.” And Andy’s father, who has taught her to be strong, tells her to finish it. To cut its throat.
The story is featured in anthologies like Comfort , which can be found in collections such as The Best American Short Stories 1985 , or accessed through academic resources. Share public link