Moths die
Virginia Wolfe, Annie Dillard, and their short stories The Death of a Moth were written decades apart. They share many similarities in their subject matter and tittles. They present different imagery to their readers, but they share many similarities. Both discuss the inevitable death. Dillard’s peace, however, is more positive than Wolfe’s. Wolfe’s story focuses on the importance of life up until death.
The pieces leave the reader with the impression of death being inevitable. Dillard begins her observation by observing the plentiful food supplies found in the bathroom of the spider. Dillard observes the impeccable floor and wonders what kind of fool Dillard is. Their deaths were inevitable, and they didn’t have any other option but to march toward it. It almost seemed as though their lives were set in stone and they had no choice but to follow it. Wolfe shared this sentiment after watching the moth circle the room and realizing it reminded him that he had to fly “to a third corners and then to the fourth?” (Wolfe). Wolfe seemed reaffirming the idea life is a series if steps, whose end cannot be altered. This logic suggests that one cannot stop walking along the same path. The moth was struggling to move when she saw this. (Wolfe). There is nothing that can be done to stop the moth from dying. The pieces are similar in subject matter but the reader will have a different view of life once they reach the end. Annie Dillard was optimistic about life, despite her discussion of the inevitable death. Moths were stuck to obstacles and were temporarily weighed down by the melting of various objects on her campsite. Dillard managed to get them out of their binds, “by doing a quick flip with the stick” (Dillard). The moths flew again despite being trapped by their temporal troubles. She shares a positive view of her life and that of the moths. Her story begins with Dillard telling the reader that she lives alone and has two cats. While this statement is usually considered to be a sad admission that she is single, it shows that she still enjoys making connections with the outside world. Dillard adds that she doesn’t mind living alone. Dillard’s optimistic outlook on life is overall positive. Wolfe’s The Death of the Moth is an exception.
Virginia Wolfe’s outlook on life is much pessimistic. Most people are not surprised that Virginia Wolfe killed herself within a matter of days after publishing her story. The moth she sees flying by the day is what she says to the reader. This makes life difficult and exhausting. As she continues to observe the moths’ travels, she discovers that their zest for enjoying the few opportunities they have is pathetic. (Wolfe). They will either succeed and then pass away, or they may not be able to achieve their goals. Wolfe continued to say that they are prone to forget all that is important about life. He claims that the world has become so hampered and bossed that it becomes difficult for it to move with dignity and circumspection. The idea is that life is filled with rules and obligations that can only be broken by death. The Death of the Moth by Wolfe focuses on a pessimistic view of life.
Dillard and Wolfe share many similarities, except for the title. Both stories emphasize the importance of life. The reader’s feelings after reading these stories is quite different. Dillard highlights the positives, emphasizing how death can be beautiful, but life itself can be an exciting, even hopeful, journey. Wolfe, however, views death as a moment in freedom and sees life as a waste of time. Both stories were enjoyable and well-written. However, they left readers feeling different emotions at the end.
