The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf Essay - 761 Words

‘The Death of the Moth† by Virginia Woolf Death is a difficult subject for anyone to speak of, although it is a part of everyday life. In Virginia Woolf’s â€Å"The Death of the Moth†, she writes about a moth flying about a windowpane, its world constrained by the boundaries of the wood holding the glass. The moth flew, first from one side, to the other, and then back as the rest of life continued ignorant of its movements. At first indifferent, Woolf was eventually moved to pity the moth. This story shows that life is as strange and familiar as death to us all. I believe this story was well written and will critique the symbolism, characters, and the setting. Woolf uses symbolism in her essay when she speaks of the moth and†¦show more content†¦This symbolism Woolf applies to everyday human life, making us understand that death will all happen to us one day, when it is our time. There is no escaping death when it comes for us. The character of the moth and the way that Woolf’s story unfolds makes you, as a reader, feel as if you are there actually watching the moth die. Her descriptions of the moth’s flight and the struggle against death as he lived his life that day involves you in the mourning of someone or something you love dying. You feel every movement that Woolf saw in the moth’s life that day by reading this essay. As Woolf describes how the moth â€Å"flew vigorously to one corner of his compartment, and after waiting there a second, flew across to the other, â€Å" you can feel the moth’s movements (1178). In Woolf’s essay, the battle between life and death is somehow seen as both pathetic and noble. Pathetic because death will always win regardless the desire for life; but noble in how one faces death – on our back, defeated, or on our feet, and in dignity. Woolf states â€Å"one could only watch the extraordinary efforts made by those tiny legs against an oncoming doom which could, had it chosen, have submerged an entire city, not merely a city, but masses of human beings; nothing, I knew, had any chance against death† and shows the moth’s courageous journey into death (1179). â€Å"As I looked at the dead moth, this minute wayside triumph of so great a force over so meanShow MoreRelatedVirginia Woolf - the Death of the Moth705 Words   |  3 PagesBattle between Life and Death Our existence is the battle between life and death. We face it everywhere; in people’s eyes’ and behavior, in the motions of the creatures that surround us and in the nature that somehow dies in the winter and gets a new life in spring. This battle is impossible to remain unnoticed because it is simply the way of life. In Virginia Woolf’s essay â€Å"The Death of the Moth†, she writes about a moth that is trying to get ‘a new life’ by going through the windowpaneRead More The Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf Essay735 Words   |  3 PagesThe Death of the Moth by Virginia Woolf The Death of the Moth, written by Virginia Woolf, explains the brief life of a moth corresponding with the true nature of life and death. In this essay, Woolf puts the moth in a role that represents life. Woolf makes comparisons of the life outside to the life of the moth. The theme is the mystery of death and the correspondence of the life of the moth with the true nature of life. The images created by Woolf are presented that appeal to the eye. 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Annie Dillard, the author of Death of a Moth and Virginia Woolf, the author of The Death of the Moth have different perspectives on the subject of life and death. Annie Dillard sees the value of life, especially in ones death. Virginia Woolf, however, seems to perceive life as pointless and meaningless. It was merely a postponement of the inevitable to her. Each author writes herRead MoreDevices InDeath Of A Moth, By Virginia Woolf777 Words   |  4 PagesMoths, being a small insignificant creature, can possess an immense amount of energy when given the will to live, as they struggle trying to beat seeing the light. Virginia Woolf, in her essay â€Å"Death of a Moth,† emphasized how life is precious, as it can be instantaneously taken away from you, so you have to live life to the fullest, and to never give up hope. Throughout her essay, devices such as imagery, in addition to a certain syntax, and depressing tone, are used for the audience to understandRead MoreEssay on Dillard and Woolf Compare and Contrast905 Words   |  4 PagesDillard and Woolf Style and Effect Compare and Contrast Annie Dillard and Virginia Woolf both wrote beautiful essays, entitled â€Å"Death of A Moth,† and â€Å"Death of the Moth,† respectively. The similarities between the two pieces are seen just in the titles; however, the pieces exhibit several differences. While both Dillard and Woolf wrote extensive and detailed essays following deaths of moths, each writer’s work displays influence from different styles and tone, and each moth has a different effectRead MoreThe Death Of The Moth859 Words   |  4 Pages In her essay â€Å"The Death of the Moth†, Virginia Woolf depicts the struggle of life confronting death through the death of a moth. Woolf sees a moth flying in â€Å"a pleasant morning, mid-September, mild, benignant† (385). She uses this soft autumnal description of her morning to emphasize the beauty of life and the happiness one feels while being alive; however, she uses the moth to represent life itself and show its own struggles:  " [the moth] tried to fly across...the window-pane†, but â€Å"he failed†