When her father finds her, he calls her “Andy.” She corrects him:
“My name is Andrea.”
This is the story’s climax. She is not rejecting her father—she is rejecting the false self he helped create. The car ride home is silent. She cries, and the story ends:
“She was crying for something she had lost and would never find again.”
What has she lost? Innocence? The chance to be her father’s son? The illusion that love and violence are compatible? Kaplan leaves it open, but the weight is crushing.
What makes “Doe Season” unforgettable is its ending. After the failed mercy kill, after the men finish the job and Andy feels the blood soak through her jacket, she runs. Not toward the cabin, not toward her father—but toward the ocean. In a surreal, dreamlike sequence, she imagines the ocean from her mother’s stories, a place vast and female and forgiving.
She wades in, washing off the blood. And when Mac calls her “Andrea” without irony, she doesn’t correct him. The story closes with her walking into the waves, away from the woods, away from the name Andy. Doe Season By David Michael Kaplan Full Text
It is not a triumphant ending. It is a quiet, painful surrender—or perhaps a survival.
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.
| Character | Key Traits | Narrative Function | |-----------|-----------|----------------------| | Narrator (the Biologist) | Analytical, haunted, skeptical of his own role; carries a notebook and a concealed sense of guilt. | Serves as the story’s moral center and the conduit through which we examine institutionalized killing. | | Earl “Pike” McAllister | Weathered, stubborn, unapologetic, yet unexpectedly philosophical about the land. | Represents the old‑guard hunting culture; his out‑of‑season presence creates moral conflict. | | The Deer (symbolic) | Silent, fleeting, the “voice” of the ecosystem. | Their tracks and eventual disappearance embody the impact of human interference. | | The Late Father (memory) | Legendary hunter, larger‑than‑life, both idolized and feared. | Provides a generational lens; his legacy haunts the narrator’s decisions. |
| Technique | Example & Effect | |-----------|-------------------| | Sparse, Lyrical Prose | Kaplan’s sentences often read like field notes: “The pine needles whispered under my boots, a soft static that drowned out the distant hum of a truck on the road.” This economy of language mirrors the biologist’s observational mindset. | | Shift Between Objective Data and Subjective Reflection | The narrator alternates between listing deer counts (e.g., “28 does, 12 fawns”) and personal memories (“My father’s laugh cracked the night like a shotgun blast”). The contrast underscores the tension between cold statistics and lived experience. | | Use of Sound | Repeated references to “the forest’s breath,” “the crack of a rifle,” and “the rustle of leaves” make auditory imagery central, reinforcing the theme that the forest “listens.” | | Unreliable Narrative | The narrator admits to gaps in his recollection (“I can’t be sure whether I saw the flash or just imagined it”). This unreliability forces readers to question what is known versus what is assumed. | | Open‑Ended Finale | No explicit answer is given about Pike’s fate; the story ends on an impressionistic note, leaving moral questions unresolved—an intentional choice that encourages reader engagement. |
| Symbol | Meaning | |--------|---------| | The rifle | Phallic power, the burden of male violence, the expectation to kill. | | The doe | Andy’s female double. To shoot the doe would be self-annihilation. | | The gutting | The brutal demystification of death. Andy sees that killing is not heroic—it is bloody, smelly, and mechanical. | | The ocean | The unconscious, the feminine, the boundless, the pre-symbolic mother-child bond. | | Andy’s name | The central symbol of identity. “Andy” is a performance; “Andrea” is truth. |
Introduction
"Doe Season" is a short story by David Michael Kaplan, first published in 1980. The story revolves around a young girl named Andie, who goes on a hunting trip with her father and uncle in the woods of Maine. The narrative explores themes of identity, family dynamics, and the complexities of growing up.
Full Text Summary
The story begins with Andie, a 13-year-old girl, preparing for a hunting trip with her father and uncle in the woods of Maine. Andie's excitement and nervousness are palpable as she packs her bag and says goodbye to her mother.
Upon arriving at the cabin, Andie meets her uncle, Eddie, a gruff but kind-hearted man who has been hunting with her father for years. As they set out to hunt deer, Andie's father, Harry, is preoccupied with the task at hand, while Eddie tries to engage Andie in conversation.
As the day progresses, Andie becomes increasingly frustrated with her father's distant behavior and her own inability to shoot a deer. Eddie, sensing her frustration, takes her aside and teaches her how to handle a rifle and connect with nature.
The turning point of the story comes when Andie and Eddie stumble upon a doe and her fawn. Andie, feeling a sense of connection with the animals, hesitates to shoot, and Eddie understands her reluctance. Harry, however, is disappointed that Andie didn't take the shot. When her father finds her, he calls her “Andy
As the day comes to a close, Andie begins to realize that her feelings towards her father are complex and multifaceted. She feels a deep-seated need for his approval, but at the same time, she's angry with him for being distant and uncommunicative.
The story concludes with Andie reflecting on the events of the day, feeling a sense of growth and newfound understanding. She recognizes that her relationship with her father is imperfect, but she's also aware of the love and connection they share.
Themes
Character Analysis
Symbolism
Discussion Questions
Conclusion
"Doe Season" by David Michael Kaplan is a rich and nuanced short story that explores themes of identity, family dynamics, and coming of age. Through Andie's journey, the narrative offers a thoughtful and compassionate portrayal of adolescence, highlighting the complexities and challenges of growing up. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the story, its themes, characters, and symbolism, making it an excellent resource for readers, students, and educators.