Virginia Woolf's The Death Of The Moth
“The Death of the Moth”, by Virginia Woolf, is an essay centered around the phenomenon that is life and death, a wonder that results in the same conclusion for every being on this deceptive and unjust world. Woolf uses variations in tones, unpredictable milestones, and a plethora of metaphors to evoke emotions within the reader so that a sympathetic parallel is formed between the pitiful moth and the emotionally susceptive reader.
Descriptive observations, such as in amplifying the “pathetic” life of this creature, whose abilities are limited to that of an inescapable box, applies a hopeless tone and outlook on the insect that only few can read without pitying such a meaningless life. However, Woolf is able to beautifully take advantage of our society’s fascination with underdog narratives in using statements such as, “what he could do he did,” or “he was little or nothing but life,” that not only elicits a sense of respect for the moth’s abnormal “zest” for life, but also makes readers unconsciously root for the pitiful creature. By using such fluctuations in tone, Woolf is able to generate sympathetic, yet hopeful emotions, so that the readers feel a sense of attachment to such an overlooked individual.
Woolf’s
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The honorable fight the insignificant moth makes against it’s inevitable doom, not only prompts sympathetic responses, but also draws a parallel between the toils of human-life and those of commonly unrelatable species. By creating such personal connections to the pitiful moth, Woolf administers a lesson to readers that, though life may seem fruitless and pitiful at times, there are always possibilities for one to live their life to the fullest, no matter their personal
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