Analysis Of Virginia Woolf's Essay 'Death Of The Moth'

Virginia Woolf’s essay “Death of the Moth” describes her encounter with a moth as it is trying to fly frantically to run away from her windowpane before it dies. At first, Woolf wants to help the moth to escape her windowpane as she is watching it struggle but, as she goes to do so, she realizes that the moth is going through the same struggle that all living species go through while trying to escape death. She realizes that, this is part of every creatures’ life. When Woolf witnessed the moth’s death, she is compelled to ponder the philosophical implications that incur within the circular pattern of life and death. Woolf is aware of death’s supreme certainty but, settles to believe that the possibility of death is one of the strongest motivation for all living creatures to be forced to have value and a better meaning for the life they have been given. Because death cannot be in anyone’s control and cannot be prevented, the way any living creature fights to survive and live a life even in the final moments is way more valuable than the ordinary, meaningless activities that is done with laziness and boredom. Woolf employs several stylistic devices to make her essay more …show more content…
Even though, moth is a very delicate creature and is only concern with eating and breathing, Woolf relates those struggles to the struggles that people face trying to live a meaningful life and overcome all the obstacles that life throws at them. The strength that people use to live a purposeful life is compared with the moth’s battle to survive death by Woolf. When confronting death, all human beings are as weak and frail as the tiny moth, and incapable of escaping the reality of life, The Death! Living creatures are always fighting a battle in life and often forget to make the most of the living time they