She describes the moth’s life as pathetic. Dillard also personifies the moth like Woolf did by relating to the moth as empty and hollow as life can sometimes be. She is very detailed in describing the moth’s dorsal curve of thorax and abdomen, and a smooth pair of cerci.
Dillards purpose is the most important part of this essay, it’s to show that even in death someone can be beautiful, and they will burn in our memories forever. This meaning or purpose is very hidden in the essay, but it is found when she describes how the moth lights up, and how she “burns for two hours” just like one would burn in our memories. She is very plain and sad, but when she saw the beauty of the moth and its flame she was amazed and no longer sad about the death; she appreciated the moth more this way just like how we appreciate someone more after they are gone. The author uses something simple like a moth but the true meaning of this essay is much deeper then it
In the short story, ''The Moths'', by Helena Maria Viramontes uses author style to focus on the ideas that one could be isolated and it takes a severe deed to regain inner peace through the title, informal writing, and theme. The title, ''The Moths'' represents the moths flying out of the Abuelita's mouth after she died at the end of the story. '' I wanted to rest my head on her chest with her stroking my hair, telling me about the moths that lay within the soul and slowly eat the spirit up'', (page 37). The narrator was told by her Abuelita (grandmother) that the moths are filled in one's soul, and they slowly eat the spirit, but the moths are part of one that keeps living after one dies. It shows that the grandmother's legacy kept living
The ongoing battle against the world continues as the Polyphemus moth crawls “down the driveway... hunched...on six furred feet, forever” (Dillard); despite the torture of not being able to fly and the unlikeness of survival, Dillard’s moth does not falter. However, the plain moth of Woolf’s illustration accepts defeat against the world, proving that “death is stronger” than any purpose or want of life. The Polyphemus moth is innocent and pure, having just begun its life. Although unlikely, there is still a chance that the Polyphemus moth may live to see another day.
After reading "The Death of a Moth" by Annie Dillard I can conclude that this essay has a second meaning to it. I can see that Dillard wrote this essay with a lot of details so readers could understand what she was saying or to make readers imagine what she experienced. This essay that Dillard wrote talks about how she watched a moth burn for over two hours. Dillard implied that the moth still meant something even after it was burned. This is why I think that this essay that Dillard wrote has a second meaning to it.
How does she create that effect? She creates that effect by using the story of moth dying than the author describes his inner thoughts. According to the essay, she says, “but, as I stretched out a pencil, meaning to help him to right himself; it came over me that the failure and awkwardness were the approach of death”. This shows that struggle for life even in a small figure of insects.
The Moth set out walking. It could only heave the golden wrinkly clumps where its wings should have been; it could only crawl down the school driveway on its six frail legs" (Dillard 3). Both Staples and Dillard are broken down by societies problems before they even have a chance for their wings to expand and grow so they can fly
While we usually associate butterflies coming out of cocoons, moths also come out of cocoons. Moths eat fabric and cloth and are considered to be disgusting creatures. Like the citizens of Laramie, they cause harm to people around them. This theme of causing harm to others while being hidden was not just present in The Laramie Project, we also saw these themes with
Having these moths live a long and routine boring life would be terrible and of course they would trade that for a short life with a short amount of happiness, like pain and suffering the expression “rip the band-aid off” most people would want a short amount of extreme pain than a long amount of moderate pain because people know what that pain feels like, it’s only until you look into the context of things that can you judge others. Now looking at “An
By using the word moth, which conjures up an image of an annoying creatures, Fitzgerald shows that the parties are more of a nuisance than welcomed guests. Furthermore, the people seem to blend in with each other and seem more like a “sea-change of faces and voices
(page 1). The moth lives his life, as if positivity is the only thing it knows. This creates the moth as an embodiment of life. As the others work in the sun, and appreciate the summers day, the moth flies around, its’s only concern in getting from corner to corner. The moth does not think about
The cage also represent something; it represents all of the ties that the materialistic world holds, keeping
He wants the reader to comprehend the significance of the moth and what it represents. “ The enormous energy of the world had been thrust into his frail and diminutive body” (lines 38-39). Woolf explains how the moth is transforming from a pathetic creature to an aspiring creature. “Marvelous as well as pathetic about him” (lines 45-46). Woolf describes the efforts made by the moth to survive.
The moth relates to the struggles of a man by, how every living thing tries to fight death, that size matters, and life still goes on. Woolf explains how every living thing tries to fight death in some way. An example in real life of living people trying to fight death is, when people try to fight sicknesses and diseases like cancer.
She also uses multiple shifts in tone to help gain the readers support towards the moth. Using both of these elements, she presents an excellent portray of life struggling against death. The author initially
