Updating Dillard

Assignment 1.6

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.

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.

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. 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. Dillard choice of expression gives an example of symbolism. Here, Dillard did not use one particular word but an idea that suggest a condition.