I wonder if this essay could reflect any kind of principles we could learn from Ecclesiastes. I hardly find anyone giving a sermon or message on Ecclesiastes. Woolf points out the life of a moth and how that life is so full of energy, yet it seems useless.
Q: Is there a message in this essay that humans should apply to their own lives?
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4 comments:
I can see how you might see parallels between the moth and Ecclesiastes, but I'm not sure if that was Woolf's intent (though I could be wrong, as I don't know what that intent is). I think the essay is an image-rich, romantic essay. The romantic ideal see beauty in every day life, and especially in nature. Woolf says of the moth that he was "little or nothing but life." I loved that description. She looks at the short life of some bug that most of us would just stomp on, and reveres it as a beautiful part of nature. She made a moth's death beautiful. I thought it was incredible.
I agree with Riane. There is no doubt that this essay not only tells a story, but also paints it for the reader. There is something humbling about this essay as well. I think this says quite a bit about living on the edge. It spoke volumes to me about the brevity of life and the inevitability of death. "...this gigantic effort on the part of an insignificant little moth, against a power of such magnitude, to retain what no one else valued or desired to keep, moved one strangely." In this quote, Woolf seems to assume that no one else values or desires to keep life, or rather, to live. This seems an extreme assumption, but it causes me to wonder how true it actually may be.
At first this essay didn't seem to appealing. I mean I was taken back by the fact that it was actually about a moth.But in the end I see not only Elijah's point but also Riane's and Liz's. I think all to often, we as college students, do not take into consideration the brevity of our own lives. In the past two years I have looked at the brevity of life square in the eye after loosing two aunts and own of my closest friends/mentors I had to answer a lot of questions. All in all reading Woolf's essay made me relive and refeel many of those things.
Elijah-
I see your placement with Ecclesiastes; it is all meaningless. This is a great book written by a great man that had everything, yet found it all meaningless. The life/death of a moth is pretty meaningless compared to other aspects of our day. Maybe her point is that life is short, make it meaningful!
Riane -
Since coming back to Christ and realizing the humor God has in the bugs He created, I have a new appreciation for bugs. Yes, there was a time my only thought would have been to crush, but now, I sometimes let them outside. At times, I even warn them and talk to them. I find them very unique, but also enjoy watching the cats play with them. Maybe I am more like King than I thought!
Liz - You have much insight into the value and brevity of life. We need to humble ourselves at times, live on the edge at others, but also need to realize the inevitablity of death and the freedom we have in knowing Christ. Our death may be inevitable, but our life is eternal.
Meg - Life is short. Brevity is inevitable. We must make the most of each moment, as it may be our last. Sad, but true. Sorry about lossing your family and friends. Loss of those close to us is much more serious than that of a moth, and only God can sustain us.
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