Do many people wonder what is the meaning of life? What is our purpose? There comes a very important time in our lives when we must sit down and ask whether we are living our lives or if we are just being content with what we have. There are also times in our lives when our instincts will tell us to do something that defies logic, upsets our plans, and may seem crazy to others. What defines us is whether we listen to our instinct or conform like the rest of society. Fear of failure leads us to decide to go the safe route instead of risking it all and fulfilling our dreams. Every human comes from a different background and has different experiences throughout their life. Everyone is different and we all strive to uncover the secrets to the meaning of life. In reality, we are given the desire to live the way we want, unlike animals. What makes us unique isn’t something that should be overlooked. We can dictate our own lives, yet we still look for a life of fulfillment.
Annie Dillard’s essay conveys the message that we should live more carefree. She believes we should change our lifestyle and live in the way a weasel does. As she is observing the weasel she develops an admiration for the weasel’s way of life. As she mentions, “The weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice…” She enjoys the thought of going through life wild and careless like the weasel. Dillard sees the wild weasel as having the freedom to live carelessly and solely by necessity; whereas the way humans choose to live can identify necessarily with material things. In one passage Dillard describes the neighborhood in which she found the weasel. She refers to the suburbs as, “a remarkable piece of shallowness.” Reading this made me think of how superficial things appear on the outside and how materialistic people can become. We don’t need many of the things we consider necessary in order to survive
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I see her argument as a way to make our choices disappear and live without prejudice. She states, “I would like to learn, or remember, how to live.” She is on the hunt to feel alive. As humans, we debate and calculate every move we make. “The weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice, hating necessity and dying at the last ignobly in its talons.” Every action of ours has consequences, while weasels simply act without having their actions premeditated. We live our lives with caution, afraid of taking risks. Dillard believes that “we might learn something of mindlessness..” This way of life would allow her to not make choices and would make her feel liberated. Living a life free of consequences from our bad decisions sounds like an amazing way to live and animals don’t have to face these daily challenges, allowing them to be free.
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Living Like Weasels’ Summary.
(2023, April 21). Edubirdie. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/living-like-weasels-summary/
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Available at: <https://edubirdie.com/examples/living-like-weasels-summary/> [Accessed 2 Nov. 2024].
Living Like Weasels’ Summary [Internet]. Edubirdie.
2023 Apr 21 [cited 2024 Nov 2].
Available from: https://edubirdie.com/examples/living-like-weasels-summary/
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