Retorical Analysis of "Total Eclipse"

Assignment 1.4

Annie Dillard Essay “Total Eclipse” focuses on Language, communication, or expression and how to link ideas and thoughts to the reader. Dillard’s essay was able to draw in the reader though personal experience that produce emotion. Her essay was purposeful, strong, and abstract. I never recognized the importance of communication until I read the Annie Dillard essay. I concluded the importance of language. If there is no (in depth) understanding of the language system it would be very easy to miscommuicate one’s idea. The main purpose of “Total Eclipse” was to communicate an important life event. The essay includes ideas about life in general - growing as an individual: and how life can change one’s perspective. The most important purpose is how to communicate those experiences to others, which mean conveying expression through language. Have you ever heard a great story from a friend that had you so involved your eyes glued to theirs. That’s the miracle of enjoyable story telling. Dillard shares an experience as she travels to witness a total eclipse in 1979. On route, though the Mountains of Washington state. She observes the cirro-stratus clouds surrounding Mount Adams. And, marvel at the scenery of Yakima Valley layer by slopes and slopes of orchards. She documents much of what see on route to an event that changes her perspective of life. During the eclipse, she realized life is unmeasureable. Moreover, not participating within it is a loss of life/death. Expression shares those precious moments. The audience of Annie Dillard essay includes those who have some life experience. More than not, most people have had some experience of life. Be it, those of specific trades: professors, firefighters, homemakers, students, etc. Even various nationalities can relate to life experiences. How those experiences are expressed make the difference. This essay is for everyone. Strategies used in “Total Eclipse” are non-traditional in structure. The method she used does not go with the usual rhetorical analysis. Dillard’s strategies include Parallel ideas for example: The clown head represent the insignificant things we remember …”. Another strategy is Symbolism in writing for example: The coal miner’s condition was a symbol of things that must change but if not then they death occurs. The final strategy is representation of ideas, here the living that lacks action in life represents the dead. All of the methods above help to delivery her message in communication.

Dillard suggest, without language, communication, or expressions all things are forgotten. All that’s significant or insignificant: matter’s of life will have no trace of its occurrence. She realized this after the total eclipse sitting in a diner drinking coffee. Seeing a total eclipse was unsurpassed and incomparable to any of her known knowledge. Incomparable left her speechless. Dillard stated, “All those things for which we have no words are lost. The mind – the culture – has two little tools, grammar and lexicon, a decorated sand bucket and a matching shovel. With these we bluster about the continents and do all the world’s work”. (168-169) Here, Dillard use a parable of a buckle and a matching shovels that represent the child-like exploration. A child on the beach sits for hours building that sand castle no matter how long it takes. The child continues to work until there is something memorable to his/her liking. Without evidence, the brilliant of a culture, how will it be pasted on for future generations?