Annie Dillard – “The Death of a Moth,” from Holy the
Firm R
1. The moths in the essay’s opening are dead. The moth’s bodies are in a confusion of arching strips of chitin, like peeling varnish. They are hollow, empty, and headless. The moths at the campsite are very much alive, yet they catch fire and burn like candle wicks. The dead moths represent people who have no “burning” desire to pursue their passions. The moths getting burned by the candle represent those who are giving it their all to achieve their dreams. The fire moths are going towards the light; they are drawn to light. In order to achieve your dreams, one must give everything and risk it all.
2. The moths who did not try were dead and lifeless like those on the author’s bathroom floor, collecting dust. Dillard wanted her students to pursue passion and achieve greatness. They would have to give everything and risk it all to get what they wanted. Her lesson is to not be like the lifeless, uninspired bathroom floor moths, rather be like the moths that gravitate toward the burning candle, or their own burning desires.
3. There are many references to fire in the essay. For example, Dillard uses fire when describing the burning wick moth, leaving candles burning in her home, and her cat’s tail catching on fire. The larger significance of fire in the essay is to encourage people to go towards the light. She urges others to quench the fires of their desires. Dillard ultimately wishes that her students will become writers, but if not, to find something that they are passionate about and pursue it.
4.
a. Jack London’s quote connects to Dillard’s overall point in a sense that being a spark and starting a fire is better than being dust. Ashes are the aftermath of a fire. Dust is dead. London explains how being alive is better than being dead. Even if you reduce to ashes, you still once were alive. Dillard wants her students and others to go out and conquer their dreams. London reinforces this idea but stating to not waste any time in going out and living.
b. Yeats’ quote connects to Dillard in such a way that both of these authors are involved in education. Education is not humdrum or monotonous, such as filling a bucket up with water. You cannot learn anything that way. Education is a desire to learn. Education is a gift, not a privileged. Education can hit you like lightning and spark your interest to learn and start an unquenchable fire.
c. Kafka uses the reference of an ax such as Dillard did in her essay. An ax is a powerful tool that can be used to break things, or be plainly viewed as something strong. Kafka relates to Dillard because her ultimate goal is for her students to become writers and writers write books. Kafka hopes that books and inspiration will break the frozen ice in everyone and open up a new door, or as Dillard would probably say, start a fire.
Firm R
1. The moths in the essay’s opening are dead. The moth’s bodies are in a confusion of arching strips of chitin, like peeling varnish. They are hollow, empty, and headless. The moths at the campsite are very much alive, yet they catch fire and burn like candle wicks. The dead moths represent people who have no “burning” desire to pursue their passions. The moths getting burned by the candle represent those who are giving it their all to achieve their dreams. The fire moths are going towards the light; they are drawn to light. In order to achieve your dreams, one must give everything and risk it all.
2. The moths who did not try were dead and lifeless like those on the author’s bathroom floor, collecting dust. Dillard wanted her students to pursue passion and achieve greatness. They would have to give everything and risk it all to get what they wanted. Her lesson is to not be like the lifeless, uninspired bathroom floor moths, rather be like the moths that gravitate toward the burning candle, or their own burning desires.
3. There are many references to fire in the essay. For example, Dillard uses fire when describing the burning wick moth, leaving candles burning in her home, and her cat’s tail catching on fire. The larger significance of fire in the essay is to encourage people to go towards the light. She urges others to quench the fires of their desires. Dillard ultimately wishes that her students will become writers, but if not, to find something that they are passionate about and pursue it.
4.
a. Jack London’s quote connects to Dillard’s overall point in a sense that being a spark and starting a fire is better than being dust. Ashes are the aftermath of a fire. Dust is dead. London explains how being alive is better than being dead. Even if you reduce to ashes, you still once were alive. Dillard wants her students and others to go out and conquer their dreams. London reinforces this idea but stating to not waste any time in going out and living.
b. Yeats’ quote connects to Dillard in such a way that both of these authors are involved in education. Education is not humdrum or monotonous, such as filling a bucket up with water. You cannot learn anything that way. Education is a desire to learn. Education is a gift, not a privileged. Education can hit you like lightning and spark your interest to learn and start an unquenchable fire.
c. Kafka uses the reference of an ax such as Dillard did in her essay. An ax is a powerful tool that can be used to break things, or be plainly viewed as something strong. Kafka relates to Dillard because her ultimate goal is for her students to become writers and writers write books. Kafka hopes that books and inspiration will break the frozen ice in everyone and open up a new door, or as Dillard would probably say, start a fire.
No comments:
Post a Comment