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Analysis of “Death of a Moth” by Annie Dillard

When I initially read Annie Dillard’s “Death of a Moth” I barely skimmed the surface. I did not really read between the lines or attempt to get into the author’s head. I simply thought the essay was about a woman who was intrigued by the many bugs that inhabited her home. After a long class discussion, I was able to revisit this piece of literature and select a new grouping of tones. The tones I have chosen to describe this work are as follows: piteous, allusive, and frustrated. As I read the essay, I began to pay more attention to the sentences that were about the narrator.

I wanted to absorb as much information about the narrator as I could. While reading, I learned that the narrator spends the majority of her time alone. She seems isolated from the rest of the world. In many of the sentences, she subtly mentions that she is alone. The sentence that begins, “I was camped alone in the Blue Ridge Mountains…” is a good example of this. I began to pity the speaker because she tries to make the reader think that she is content with being alone but the reader knows all too well that the narrator longs for male companionship.

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While reading, I began to pick up on many allusions throughout the last half of the essay. The writer used the moth’s burning to create allusions for sex, purity, and hell. The speaker could possibly be a religious person because she uses words such as saint, God, virgin, and angel throughout the essay. The narrator could also be a virgin who does not believe in pre-marital sex. I began to think about this as I read the paragraph about the night she was camping. She mentioned that she had experienced an encounter with a swarm of moths.

She said, “…pale moths seeking mates massed round my head in the clearing, where my light made a ring. ” The ring of light was made by a candle. To me the ring of light symbolizes a halo and the swarm of moths circling her light would be temptation she faces to give up her purity. As I got further into the essay, I began to see the author’s frustration with herself and the lust she is experiencing. I believe that she watches the moth as it burns in the candle wax to remind herself why she waits until marriage to have sex. The moth burning away intrigues her, but that ymbolism of burning in hell is also the very thing that frightens her. The last paragraph tells us how, in just seconds, the moth’s once pure angel wings become destroyed. This could also symbolize her losing her purity. It would be gone forever. The essay tells us that the moth burned for two hours without changing. It was fighting to survive. This is representative of the willpower of the narrator. As I neared the conclusion of the essay, I read about the narrator and how she feels about her loneliness. She goes on to say, “I don’t mind being alone. I like eating alone and reading.

I don’t mind sleeping alone. The only time I mind being alone is when something is funny, when I am laughing at something funny, I wish someone were around. Sometimes I think it is pretty funny that I sleep alone. ” As I read these last few sentences I was forced to ask myself one question. Is the speaker really upset about her loneliness or is she proud of her decision? Yes, she may be lonely but her laughing at her loneliness makes it seem like she is pretty content with herself. She has made her decision and she will not give into temptation, unlike the moth who gave its life away for momentary pleasure.

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• The Death of the Moth

Read below our detailed study guide on The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf. Our notes cover The Death of the Moth summary and analysis.

The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf Summary

The death of the Moth, by Virginia Woolf, is a narrative essay in which she writes about the wretched and pitiful moth’s death. The essay symbolizes the short life of moth that corresponds with the real nature of life and death. She is moved by the moth’s struggle and fight against the death and personified the moth by attributing it human pronoun “him”.

The author starts the essays by calling moths not the true moths as they don’t give the true sense of ‘dark autumn’ and ‘ivy-blossom’ to her. She calls them hybrid creature which doesn’t completely resemble the butterflies nor their own ancestral species. Despite its hybrid nature, the moth catches the author’s attention.

Woolf narrates the story of an amusing summer morning when the whole scenery outside has moved with stoutness. Everything around, filled with vigor, amuses her and it is impossible for her to concentrate on her book. She is thinking about the nature and all of the processes that nature inspired her when suddenly a moth, flying, and trembling from one side to another side of the window, catches her attention. She finds the moth to be filled with life and is much charmed by him that she couldn’t stop watching it.

While watching the moth, moving from one side of the window to other, she says that indeed anyone watching it will feel misfortune for him as not only he was small but also alone. There was nothing else for him to do other than flying dynamically from one corner to another corner of the windowsill. She speaks of the outer world that is large and energetic and compared it to the size of the moth and imagine that being so small, the moth is highly energetic. She wonders that what he would do if it was a bit bigger in size. Flying randomly the moths also flies near to the author. Woolf feels his texture being “thin but pure” fiber and its frail and body endorsed by enormous energy. Though he is little but full of life, she claims.

The energy, strength, and size of the moth produce a complicated thought in the authors’ mind about him, yet she claims that these though might also be produced in other’s mind as well. In her mind, there was something spectacular as well as pitiful about the moth. The marvelousness is in his representation of the true nature of life; dancing, zigzagging and full of energy. While watching the moth, she says, one, for the time being, forgets about his life and concentrates on it and couldn’t get over its uniqueness. But one feels pity because of the small and insignificant life he has and had been.

After sometimes, by continuous dancing, he makes himself settled on the window, eventfully. He was tired but he wants to fly again. He tries but fails. The little mortal is pooped. To her, his movement seems awkward. He tries several times to get up but every time fails. Finally, death sneak on him, the little, poor and pitiable creature. The author tries to help him but then she stops, realizing that it is the sign of death.

The author wonders about the enemy against whom the moth fights the battle of life and death. She looks outside the window if there was something outside but finds nothing. Still, she notices the last struggle of the moth to fight for life. She is taken by her his strength and strong will to live. He was struggling hard with his tiny legs but “nothing has a chance against the death”, she says. His last moves, the last protest, was splendid. He couldn’t do anything else but succeeded to right his posture.

The last words of the author are extremely powerful. She explains the true nature of the universe and people living in it. No one care about you struggle in life, or how much you fight against death to survive, yet everyone sympathizes with life. Similarly, no one cares about the moth and his struggle against death. According to Woolf, the moth struggle for that life which no one valued, desired or want to keep. This difference in attitude, according to Woolf, moves one strangely.

After watching moth’s continuous efforts, she picks her pencil that was now useless. The death has shown himself and the moth’s struggle was over. She looked at him realizing the strangeness of life and death. Just like the life was strange, a few minutes ago, now the death is also strange. The moth, to her, seems to say that “life is stronger than he his”.

The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf Literary Analysis

About the author:.

Virginia Woolf is a predominant and a well-known feminist writer in the late nineteen and the early twentieth century. She is best known for her novels. Her novels, by non-direct methods to tales, employed a chief effect on the genre. She also penned revolutionary essays on various topics. Her subject matter includes the power and politics, literary history, literary theory and women’s writing. She also tested her fine style of writing with biographies. She agonized the fits of depression in her personal life which resulted in a suicide in 1949.

The Death of the Moth is a narrative essay by Virginia Woolf in which she symbolically represents the life of a moth full of energy and enthusiasm and his struggle against the death.

In the essay, the death of the Moth, Virginia Woolf observes moth as a metaphor for life. She implicitly builds a connection between the moth and her own life. At the beginning of the essay, Woolf calls the moth a creature full of life just like she was once full of life. By narrating the story of struggle and fight of a moth, she indirectly represents her own life as a struggle against death. Woolf personified the moth and calls it “him” throughout the essay.

The Death of the Moth Critical Appreciation:

Virginia Woolf, in the essay The Death of the Moth, implicitly represents the moth as a metaphor of life. Woolf analyzes the life as a nonstop struggle against the death. Woolf’s aim for writing this essay is to portray the wretchedness of life against the death. She represents the death as the strongest force of nature against which the life has no control. No matter how much you struggle but when the token of death signals, everything is useless.

Woolf’s supposition, ‘life is stronger than I’, offers the cover to her essay. By tempting the readers in the sensitive and emotional state, she build, throughout the essay, the formation of the extreme supremacy of death. Woolf not only portrays the effect of death on moth but also on the rest of nature. When the death arrives, it takes control of the world. Even the speaker feels powerless in face of the death and argues that the death has power over everything.

The essay starts with charming, elegant phrases, “It was a pleasant morning, mid-September, mild, benignant, yet with a keener breath than that of the summer months”. But the style promptly changes when the chief sign of death heralds. Throughout the essay, death is defined in various ways. All of the ways portrays death as the most influential power. “Failure and awkwardness” personified the death when the moth signaled “the approach of death”.

Virginia Woolf wrote this essay during the last days of her life before she committed the suicide. The essay is the representation of the last days of her life in the form of a moth. By the short life-span of moth, she means the short life of human beings particularly hers. In the early phases of life, one seems to be energetic and full of life. As life passes, the energy goes away and death approaches. Then no matter how much you struggle against this natural force, the death more powerful and nothing has control over it. Similarly, this is the case with Woolf’s life. She has struggled hard but is powerless. The death is unavoidable.

Woolf, through the metaphor of the moth, portrays the real nature of the universe and the people living around. No one cares about you until you are dead. No one care how much you struggle against the death but all they care if you are alive. Woolf is a keen observer and throughout the essay by observing the moth creates the true picture of life and death and the struggle one has to do to survive. The struggle is only useful until the token of death is not shown. Once the death heralds, nothing has control over it just as she is powerless and helpless to the moth.

The Death of the Moth Main Themes

Following is the only main theme of the essay the Death of the Moth;

The Power of Death:

The main theme of the whole story is death. The author uses moth as a metaphor for life. The moth is energetic and full of life but powerless against the death. One feels extremely pathetic for the small creature but it is reality of the nature whether you are small or monstrous big creature, once death heralds, nothing can stop it. The author time and again use the word death to emphasize the idea of death and its power. The struggle of the moth to fight against the death is very inspiring and leave the impression on the reader’s mind. It gives us a lesson that we should struggle hard and never give up easily just like the moth. He struggled hard and nothing but succeeded in righting his posture.

By saying “life is “stronger than I”, Woolf concluded the essay by representing the enormous power of the death.

More From Virginia Woolf

Short stories.

• Kew Gardens

Annie Dillard -->

Official website, uncollected essays.

"Thinking About Language," The Living Wilderness (Autumn, 1974), p.2.

"Winter Melons," Harper's Vol. 248, No. 1484 (January, 1974), 87. (Review essay)

"The Shape of Change: Idea in Theodore Roethke's Love Poetry," Mill Mountain Review Vol. 11-2 (1975), 125.

Introduction, Moments of Light , Fred Chappell. Newport Beach, California: New South Press, 1980.

"Wish I Had Pie," Black Warrior Review Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring, 1982), 75.

"The Joys of Reading," New York Times Magazine , May 16, 1982. Reprinted in Ellis, Fall, 1982; Fiction Writer's Market, Cincinnati, 1984.

"Yemen: The Land Nobody Knows," Signature Vol. 18, Issue 5 (May, 1983), 36. Reprinted in Grand Tour, Winter 1996.

"Why I Live Where I Live," Esquire Vol. 101, No. 3 (March, 1984), 90.

"Four Bits," Ploughshares Vol. 10, Nos. 2 & 3, p. 68.

"The Purification of Poetry -- Right out of the Ballpark," Parnassus Vol. 11, No. 2 (Fall/Winter, 1984), p. 287.

"Writing 'God in the Doorway,'" Jeffrey L. Duncan, Writing from Start to Finish , New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985, p. 279.

"Singing with the Fundamentalists," The Yale Review Vol. 74, No. 2 (Winter, 1985), 312. Reprinted in Books and Religion Vol. 13, Nos. 4 & 5 (May/June, 1985). Reprinted in Scott Walker, ed., The Gray Wolf Annual Three. St. Paul, 1986. Reprinted in The Resourceful Writer , New York, 1987, and The Bedford Reader , New York, 1988 and other textbooks and anthologies.

"Streetcars," Lee Gutkind, Our Roots Grow Deeper Than We Know , University of Pittsburgh Press, 1986.

"Galapagos Revisited," Signature Vol. 21, No. 8 (Aug. 1986).

"The Leg in the Christmas Stocking: What We Learned from Jokes," The New York Times Book Review , Dec. 7, 1986.

"Postscript on Process." X. J. Kennedy and Dorothy Kennedy, The Bedford Reader , New York, 1985, p. 107.

"How I Wrote the Moth Essay--and Why," Thomas Cooley, The Norton Reader , New York, 1986, p. 13.

"Sirens of the South Seas," Signature , July, 1985. Re- printed in A. Grove Day, The Lure of Tahiti, Honolulu : Mutual Publishing Company, 1987.

"The French and Indian War: A Memoir," American Heritage Vol. 38, No. 5 (July/August, 1987), p. 49.

"Nature Writing," historical annotated bibliography, Antaeus : On Nature, 1986.

"Notebook," Antaeus: Journals, Notebooks and Diaries No. 61 (Autumn, 1988), p. 84.

"Making Contact," Yale Review (Summer, 1988), p. 615.

"To Fashion a Text" in Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir . New York Book-of-the-Month Club, 1987, 1995. William Zinsser, ed., with Russell Baker, Lewis Thomas, Toni Morrison, Alfred Kazin. Reprinted in Wilson Quarterly (New Year's, 1988). Reprinted from Wilson Quarterly to American Illustrated (in Russian), and translated from Russian to Arabic for Tunisian magazine Al Majal . This is emphatically not interesting; I renounce it.

"Luke," Antaeus , ed. Daniel Halpern, Ecco Press, New York, 1989. Also in (and written for) Incarnation , ed. Alfred Corn, Houghton Mifflin, 1990; Penguin Books, 1991.

"Frontier City," Literary Outtakes , ed. Larry Dark, New York, 1990.

"A Writer's Landscapes," in Japanese magazine Impressions (also in Wesleyan ).

"Studies," in Architectural Digest , June, 1996.

"River Goods," Pittsburgh History , Winter 94-95.

"Hard Times in Ultima Thule," New York Times Book Review Bookends (back page)--April 20, 1997--Short essay on Holder Laxness 1946 epic, Independent People.

"Advice for Young Writers," Image , No. 16 1997. Do not read this crap.

"Antarctica," 5-part article for Microsoft's failed on-line Mungo Park , Jan 98.

"This is the Life," in Image , spring 2002 (9/11 issue), reprinted in Harper's as "How to Live," June 2002, and in Shields, David, and Morrow, Bradford, The Inevitable (New York, Norton) 2011.

"Carol Munder," in Photography Annual 21st Century (2004 or 2005).

Etruscans Losing Their Edge, The American Schola r, Spring, 2004.

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The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf

“The Death of the Moth” is an essay written by Virginia Woolf that was first published in 1942, shortly after her death. In this essay, Woolf reflects upon the nature of life and death through the observation of a moth’s struggle against death.

In her essay “The Death of the Moth,” Virginia Woolf observes a seemingly insignificant event—a moth’s struggle to survive and its eventual demise. She uses this natural occurrence as a metaphor to contemplate the broader themes of life, death, and the human experience.

Woolf begins by describing a common, ordinary moth as it attempts to fly through the windowpane in her room. Despite its efforts, the moth repeatedly fails to escape and instead becomes fixated on the outside world. Woolf becomes engrossed in the moth’s struggle and finds herself drawn to its determination to survive, despite the inevitable outcome.

She parallels the moth’s struggle to the human condition, acknowledging the fragility and vulnerability of life. The moth’s limited lifespan and futile attempts to overcome the barrier of the window reflect the ephemeral nature of human existence and the struggles individuals face throughout their lives. The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf

As the essay progresses, Woolf delves into a contemplation of the inherent differences between life and death. She muses on the beauty of life and its delicate balance, which can be disrupted at any moment. The moth’s struggle against death becomes a symbol of the human will to survive, even when faced with insurmountable challenges.

Woolf’s prose becomes more introspective as she discusses the interconnectedness of life and death. She reflects on how death is always present in the background, casting a shadow over life’s endeavors. The ephemeral nature of existence reminds her of the importance of appreciating the present moment and finding beauty in the ordinary aspects of life.

In the final moments of the essay, Woolf witnesses the moth’s ultimate defeat. As the insect succumbs to death, she notes the sudden transformation from a living creature with a purpose to a mere lifeless object. This serves as a stark reminder of life’s impermanence and the inevitability of mortality.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- The essay begins with Woolf sitting in her room, observing a moth flying about the windowpane. She describes the moth’s movements, its delicate and desperate struggle to escape through the window and reach the outside world. Woolf sees the moth as a metaphor for life and its struggle against death.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- As Woolf watches the moth, she realizes that it is doomed to fail in its attempts to escape. The moth becomes tired and weak, its movements slow down, and eventually, it falls to the ground. Woolf describes the moth’s death as a sudden cessation of movement, a stillness that signifies the end of life.

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The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- Through the observation of the moth’s death, Woolf contemplates the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. She reflects on the transient nature of existence and how even the most insignificant creatures, like the moth, can inspire a profound understanding of life’s fleetingness.

Woolf also explores the contrast between the moth’s struggle for life and the indifference of the human world. While the moth fights desperately for its survival, humans often take life for granted and fail to appreciate its preciousness. Woolf notes the paradoxical beauty in the moth’s struggle, as it embodies the essence of life’s resilience and determination.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- “The Death of the Moth” is a poignant essay that invites readers to contemplate the meaning of life and the inevitability of death. Woolf’s vivid description of the moth’s struggle and eventual demise serves as a reminder of life’s fragility and the need to cherish and appreciate every moment.

Table of Contents

About Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was a highly influential British writer and one of the foremost figures of modernist literature. She is celebrated for her innovative narrative techniques, introspective explorations of consciousness, and her feminist perspectives. Woolf was born in London, England, on January 25, 1882, into an affluent and intellectual family. She was the daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen, a notable critic and historian, and Julia Prinsep Duckworth Stephen, a renowned pre-Raphaelite model and philanthropist.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- As a child, Woolf was surrounded by a stimulating literary environment. Her parents’ house, known as the Stephen household, was frequented by leading intellectuals and artists of the time, such as George Henry Lewes and Julia Margaret Cameron. This upbringing greatly influenced Woolf’s intellectual curiosity and nurtured her love for literature.

However, Woolf’s childhood was marked by several tragic events. Her mother died when she was only 13 years old, and this loss deeply affected her emotional well-being. Additionally, Woolf experienced the death of her half-sister, Stella Duckworth, which further contributed to her bouts of depression and mental instability later in life.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- Despite these challenges, Woolf’s passion for writing began to blossom during her teenage years. She, along with her sister Vanessa, started a literary magazine called “Hyde Park Gate News,” which showcased their early literary efforts. This creative outlet allowed Woolf to experiment with writing and develop her distinctive voice.

In her early adulthood, Woolf and her sister became central figures in the Bloomsbury Group, an influential collective of writers, artists, and intellectuals. This group included notable individuals such as E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey, and John Maynard Keynes. The Bloomsbury Group rejected Victorian conventions and embraced a more modern and unconventional approach to art, literature, and relationships. It was within this intellectual circle that Woolf found inspiration, engaged in stimulating discussions, and forged lifelong friendships.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- Woolf’s literary career truly took off in the early 20th century. Her first novel, “The Voyage Out,” was published in 1915. This was followed by works such as “Night and Day” (1919) and “Jacob’s Room” (1922). However, it was her novel “Mrs. Dalloway” (1925) that established her as a significant literary voice. “Mrs. Dalloway” employs Woolf’s characteristic stream-of-consciousness technique, delving into the inner thoughts and experiences of the characters as they navigate a single day in London. The novel received critical acclaim for its innovative style and exploration of human consciousness.

Woolf continued to experiment with narrative techniques in subsequent works such as “To the Lighthouse” (1927) and “Orlando” (1928). “To the Lighthouse” is a meditative and introspective novel that explores the complexities of relationships and the passage of time. “Orlando” is a highly imaginative work that defies traditional notions of gender and identity, following the journey of a protagonist who experiences both male and female lives across centuries.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- In addition to her novels, Woolf also made significant contributions to the literary world through her essays and non-fiction works. “A Room of One’s Own” (1929) is one of her most renowned works of non-fiction. In this essay, Woolf examines the societal constraints faced by women in the pursuit of literature and argues for the necessity of financial independence and a dedicated physical space for women to create and thrive.

Woolf’s writing is characterized by its lyrical and experimental prose, which often captures the subtle nuances of human emotions and experiences. Her stream-of-consciousness narrative style allows readers to delve deep into the thoughts.

The Death of the Moth Themes

• Transience and Mortality: The central theme of the essay revolves around the transient nature of life and the inevitability of death. Woolf uses the short and fragile life of the moth as a metaphor for human existence, emphasizing the fleetingness of life and the constant presence of death. The moth’s struggle against the inevitability of its demise serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the impermanence of all living beings.
• The Beauty in Ordinary Life : Woolf finds beauty and significance in the mundane and ordinary aspects of life. The essay’s focus on a seemingly insignificant event—the life and death of a moth—highlights Woolf’s ability to see meaning in the everyday occurrences that often go unnoticed. Through her observations, she encourages readers to appreciate the simplicity and beauty in the world around them.
• Human Empathy and Connection: Woolf demonstrates a deep sense of empathy and connection with the moth’s struggle. She relates to the moth’s futile attempts to survive, recognizing the universal desire to cling to life. This theme underscores the interconnectedness of all living beings and the shared experiences of mortality and vulnerability.
• The Inevitability of Death: Throughout the essay, Woolf contemplates the omnipresence of death and its power over life. The moth’s eventual death symbolizes the ultimate fate that awaits all living beings. Woolf’s portrayal of death as an ever-present force emphasizes the significance of cherishing life’s moments and finding meaning within the finite time we have.
• The Unseen and Unnoticed: Woolf highlights the importance of paying attention to the unnoticed and overlooked elements of life. The moth’s struggles against the windowpane often go unnoticed by people, representing the many unobserved struggles and experiences that occur daily. The essay serves as a call to be more mindful and attentive to the subtleties of life that surround us.
• Acceptance and Resignation: As the moth eventually accepts its fate and ceases to struggle, Woolf contemplates the themes of acceptance and resignation in the face of mortality. The moth’s resignation reflects a sense of surrender to the natural order of life and death, prompting reflections on the human response to the inevitability of our own mortality.

The Death of the Moth” is a thought-provoking essay that explores the themes of life, death, and the fleeting nature of existence. Virginia Woolf’s observation of a moth’s struggle against death serves as a metaphor for the human condition and prompts readers to reflect on the significance of life’s transience.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- Through her eloquent prose, Woolf emphasizes the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. She highlights the beauty and resilience in the moth’s struggle, contrasting it with the indifference and often taken-for-granted nature of human existence.

“The Death of the Moth” invites readers to pause and appreciate the preciousness of life, urging them to embrace every moment and find meaning in the face of mortality. It serves as a poignant reminder that life is ephemeral, and it is our ability to confront and appreciate this fleetingness that gives it profound significance.

The Death of a Moth Essay Summary By Virginia Woolf- Ultimately, Woolf’s essay encourages readers to contemplate their own mortality and the impermanence of all living things. It invites us to reflect on the importance of embracing life, finding beauty in its struggle, and cherishing the moments we have before we, too, succumb to the inevitable stillness of death.

Q. Who is the author of “The Death of the Moth”?

Ans. The author of “The Death of the Moth” is Virginia Woolf, a renowned British writer and one of the most influential figures in modernist literature.

Q. When was “The Death of the Moth” published?

Ans. The essay was first published in 1942, shortly after Virginia Woolf’s death. It appeared in a collection of her posthumously published works titled “The Death of the Moth and Other Essays.”

Q. What is the main theme of “The Death of the Moth”?

Ans. The main themes of the essay revolve around the fragility of life, the inevitability of death, and the transient nature of existence. Woolf uses the metaphor of a moth’s struggle against death to contemplate these themes.

Q. What is the significance of the moth in the essay?

Ans. The moth represents life’s struggle against death. Woolf observes the moth’s desperate attempts to escape and reflects on the beauty and resilience found in its struggle, highlighting the contrast between the moth’s determination and the indifference of the human world.

Q. What does “The Death of the Moth” teach us?

Ans. The essay prompts readers to contemplate the fleetingness of life and the need to appreciate and cherish every moment. It encourages us to reflect on our mortality, find meaning in the face of death, and value the preciousness of life.

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The Death of The Moth by Annie Dillard Analysis Essay Example

Most people do not know how to read. In school, teachers tend to neglect to mention elements of style in writing,  leading students to misinterpret the author’s true meaning. Reading is not just simply reading a piece of text. It requires understanding the meaning of the author’s words. To understand the author’s true meaning you must take into account tone, diction, and syntax. Every piece of literature has tone, diction, and syntax. These key elements combined are important in reading. A good example of a passage that readers can misunderstand is the short story “The Death of a Moth” written by Annie Dillard. Initially, readers can assume that the narrator is a lonely person that is intelligent and is very observant of her surroundings and the death of a moth. However, she uses vivid and descriptive diction that underlines her true purpose which emphasizes the significance of passion and meaning in our life. She urges the readers to consider the impact and the influence they will have on society after they die away. 

The story opens up talking about a woman who lives alone with her cats. The author is clear about the woman being lonely. In the first sentence, she says, “I LIVE ALONE WITH CATS” (Dillard 371). Dillard wants to emphasize that the woman struggles with loneliness and it was clear. It is more prominent because she says it in all capital letters. Next, the author talks about the two cats; there is a black one and a yellow one. The author’s use of a cat instead of a different animal like a turtle is important because having cats are stereotyped as being lonely. The author jokes and asks the black one, “Do you remember last night? Do you remember?” (Dillard 371). For the woman to only ask this the black cat refers to a deeper meaning. Black cats are associated with death and symbolize the death of something the woman lost. The questions she asks her cat are normally not what people ask their cats meaning that she was referring to a person. Most likely a one-night stand or a person she slept with that she did not truly love. This can be assumed when she says “I throw them both out before breakfast, so I can eat.” (Dillard 371). Her word choice and use of imagery cause readers to know that the woman in the story is lonely and tries to get affection with one night encounters with someone due to the loss of something meaningful to the woman. 

 Over the next few paragraphs, the tone of the story shifts and becomes darker. However, not before she starts talking about the spider. She is amazed by the spider and its web. The author begins to talk about a spider and gives details about the spider and its corpses. The spider is referred to as her, resembling a woman. The spider resembles the narrator and what she thinks of herself and her successes. The corpses were referred to as sow bugs in the story. Sowbugs are described as “little armadillo creatures who live to travel flat out in houses, and die round” (Dillard 371.) The sowbug resembles the events that happen in her life. To her, they were meaningless, due to the way she describes a sow bug leading to the woman losing her way and deciding to go back to a familiar place. This place was in the mountains and as she explains a trip back to the mountains it is a good example of tone. Dillard writes, 

“Two summers ago I was camped alone in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I had hauled myself and gear up there to read, among other things, The Day on Fire, by James Ulman, a novel about Rimbaud that had made me want to be a writer when I was sixteen; I was hoping it would do it again.” (Dillard 372).

The tone is somber at first but swifts to be peaceful. The woman is going back to her old ways in hopes to find herself again. The author wants readers to see their self-identity. Dillard emphasizes self-identity more when she describes her experience with the moth. Dillard writes, “A golden female moth, a biggish one with a two-inch wingspread, flapped into the fire, dropped abdomen into the wet wax, stuck, flamed, frazzled in a second '' (Dillard 372).  This is a good example of syntax. The author uses compound-complex sentences and the sentence structure consists of adjectives that emphasize Dillard’s past life when the female moth flies into the candle’s fire. She can see herself getting lost in the flame. The moth is committed to the flame and works towards it. Dillard uses symbolism comparing the moth to her ideas and her commitment to her work.  Dillard says,

 “ She burned for two hours without changing, without swaying or kneeling–only glowing within, as a building fire glimpsed through silhouetted walls, like a hollow saint, like a flame-faced virgin gone to God, while I read by her light, kindled, while Rimbaud in Paris burnt out his brain in a thousand poems, while night pooled wetly at my feet” (Dillard 373).

When Dillard narrates about the moth burning for over two hours. This implies that the moth still meant something even after it was burned. The fire symbolizes life. The fire kept burning while the moth was dead until the woman blew it out. This shows that life will go on after we die. That her light will still be burning through her work.

In conclusion, the narrator is a lonely person who longs for companionship. Her loneliness is not the issue; the issue is that she lost a piece of herself. She is intelligent and is committed to her work, but does not know that her works will live on long after she dies. She finds this when she goes back to a familiar place to find her self-identity again. The death of the moth illustrates that everyone has their candle with a burning fire that will not go out unless we choose to give up. The corpses are the things in life that people find meaningless, but they have meaning. She wants readers to understand to be committed to work and to work hard, but not to neglect the small things in life that we find meaningless, because they make us who we are and that we will live on long after death.

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