Reflective Assignment A
My life context helped me interpretation of the Dillard essay “Total Eclipse”.
To answer this question fully I must understand "who I am" as a person first that mean what is specifically my core values and outlook on life. Therefore, my answere is yes: my life context has helped me interpretate "Total Ecliple".
Has my own personal experience forced me to view ideas and life in a specific way? I would be in denial if I did not see some since of my background, life experiences, mind set, openness to new things, and perception as an influence. Yet, have I permitted these things to dictate or force a single though pattern? Have I been forced to think in the conventional mind set? No, therefore “Usually it is a bit of trick to keep your knowledge from blinding you” (164).
Therefore, I allow myself to see myself, life, and the world as it is. I allowed myself to ask why not. Is that being a troublemaker - as society sees one who does not follow the norm? I hope there were more people whom have the courage to ask why not. It takes a very special person to be in that category.
At this point, I now realized I allowed myself to see Annie Dillard writing as a work of Art. How can that be possible? ART? Wow! Yes, a non-traditional piece of work did not follow the norms of politically correct or regular essay. Does that make the essay wrong? I think not. It makes the essay different. It makes the essay a piece of work that was express openly and freely.
Could it be possible in writing her essay, Dillard realized “usually it is a bit of a trick to keep knowledge from blinding you” (164). Is it possible that Annie Dillard chose to be in the grasp of the norm? Yet instill, the choice she has made allow her to be set free.
Set free from the all knowing and the all-powerful knowledge of the world. It appears that the blinding allow Dillard to go beyond and slip into a place on the hilltop. While on the hilltop, she sees the town below doing mundane things of everyday life. A life that could be more in depth and complete if one chose it.
Is it more comfortable to have the safety of everyday life that gives no relief or time to slip into a place on the hilltop? For some it is and for other it is just not enough. Individuals have to find their own place. Would that place be on the hilltop or in town following what everyone else is doing?
My question is now, have I let my experiences, mind set, openness to new ideas, and perspective affect how I view the Annie Dillard’s essay? Well, I will let the reader be the judge.
My interpretation of Dillard is about Language, communication, or expression and how to link ideas and thoughts to the reader. The context of my life has been multifaceted with many experiences. A combination of all the experience has helped creates me as a person. In addition, many of my choices have had some influence too.
Confusion! Finding order in no order has been my motivator. I have seen confusion and experience confusion; therefore, I learned to look beyond. Look, further than the lie, I look for the purpose for the lie. Looking further than the gossip, I look for the purpose of the gossip. Within many situation communication is key. Communication can bring people together or separate them. Living in society, the lack of efficient expression usually causes discord. Dillard essay “Total Eclipse” appears disarrayed but the essay delivered multiple messages to various people. “usually it is a bit of trick to keep your knowledge from blinding you” (164).
Job well done!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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?
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?
Intro Summary of "Total Eclipse"
Assignment 1.3
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 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. Dillard shares an experience as she travels to witness a total eclipse in 1979. On route, though the Mountains of Washington state as she observes the cirro-stratus clouds surrounding Mount Adams. She also marvels at the scenery of Yakima Valley layer with slopes and slopes of orchards. Dillard’s observes every detail of this trip. She documents much of what seen on route to an event that changes her perspective of life. During the eclipse, she realized life is unmeasureable. More than not, most people have had some experience of life. Be it, those of specific trades: professors, firefighters, homemakers, students, etc. Society in general can relate to life experiences. Strategies used in “Total Eclipse” are non-traditional in structure. The method she used does not appear to go with the usual rhetorical analysis. Dillard’s strategies include Parallel ideas for example: The clown head represents the insignificant things we remember. The words and objects chosen are there to help in delivering her message to the reader. The object chosen usually is general in nature and something many people can relate too. This method used to soften the message and allow Dillard more expression to communication. In appointing the strategies, in this essay, Dillard carefully chose ideas and pared it with an object that has the same or similar meaning and goes in the same direction. The object and idea have the same or are parallel in meaning. Dillard possibly chose this paring of objects to ideas to express more meaning or depth within the essay. Therefore, leading the reader to a better understanding of the message she wants to communicate. Dillard’s strategy of design and structure of this essay accredits to understanding the English language. Another strategy is Symbolism for example: The coal miner’s condition was a symbol of things that require change. Here, Dillard is describing what happen if certain conditions in life do not change. She equates, without change then there are possibilities that terrible things may happen. It goes further in Dillard’s essay, without change then death will take place. Death does not mean a physical death of one’s person but the undevelopment of personal growth. Undeveloped personal growth is a condition that should changed. In Dillard’s essay, the condition of the coal miner’s can be change to save their lives. She states, “In South Africa, in India, and in South Dakota, the gold miners extend so deeply into the earth’s crust that they are hot. The rock walls burn the miners’ hands. The companies have to air-condition the mines; if the air-conditioners break, the miners die” (161-162). This passage in the essay “Total Eclipse” demonstrates conveying a message about individual change and personal growth.
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 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. Dillard shares an experience as she travels to witness a total eclipse in 1979. On route, though the Mountains of Washington state as she observes the cirro-stratus clouds surrounding Mount Adams. She also marvels at the scenery of Yakima Valley layer with slopes and slopes of orchards. Dillard’s observes every detail of this trip. She documents much of what seen on route to an event that changes her perspective of life. During the eclipse, she realized life is unmeasureable. More than not, most people have had some experience of life. Be it, those of specific trades: professors, firefighters, homemakers, students, etc. Society in general can relate to life experiences. Strategies used in “Total Eclipse” are non-traditional in structure. The method she used does not appear to go with the usual rhetorical analysis. Dillard’s strategies include Parallel ideas for example: The clown head represents the insignificant things we remember. The words and objects chosen are there to help in delivering her message to the reader. The object chosen usually is general in nature and something many people can relate too. This method used to soften the message and allow Dillard more expression to communication. In appointing the strategies, in this essay, Dillard carefully chose ideas and pared it with an object that has the same or similar meaning and goes in the same direction. The object and idea have the same or are parallel in meaning. Dillard possibly chose this paring of objects to ideas to express more meaning or depth within the essay. Therefore, leading the reader to a better understanding of the message she wants to communicate. Dillard’s strategy of design and structure of this essay accredits to understanding the English language. Another strategy is Symbolism for example: The coal miner’s condition was a symbol of things that require change. Here, Dillard is describing what happen if certain conditions in life do not change. She equates, without change then there are possibilities that terrible things may happen. It goes further in Dillard’s essay, without change then death will take place. Death does not mean a physical death of one’s person but the undevelopment of personal growth. Undeveloped personal growth is a condition that should changed. In Dillard’s essay, the condition of the coal miner’s can be change to save their lives. She states, “In South Africa, in India, and in South Dakota, the gold miners extend so deeply into the earth’s crust that they are hot. The rock walls burn the miners’ hands. The companies have to air-condition the mines; if the air-conditioners break, the miners die” (161-162). This passage in the essay “Total Eclipse” demonstrates conveying a message about individual change and personal growth.
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