Upstream: Selected Essays

In Upstream, Mary Oliver uses the fox as a symbol of the deep wildness that she believes exists in all living things, including people. The fox appears only briefly, but the moment stays with Oliver because it captures something essential about how she understands the natural world. For her, wildness is not just about danger, instinct, or survival. It is a way of being fully alive, fully present, and connected to the larger rhythms of nature.

The fox shows up in the essay set at the ponds near Oliver’s home. It steps out of the woods in summer and notices a group of geese nearby. Readers might expect the fox to chase them or act like a typical predator. Instead, it simply lies down in the leaves and goes to sleep. This small scene is important because the fox refuses to act according to the script humans usually write for wild animals. It does not perform “foxness” for anyone; it follows its own internal pace. Oliver pays attention to this because the fox reminds her that every creature carries its own inner life, one that does not need human approval or interpretation.

Oliver also sees a connection between the fox’s wildness and the human spirit.