It is widely believed that human beings cannot escape death. Virginia Woolf’s narration in the story “The Death of the Moth” displays the battle between life and death, which is never won. The writer employs rhetorical devices such as fragmentation and tone, as well as metaphors to deliver his message and advance the feeling of pity in the reader. In addition, Woolf attentively uses metaphors and other literary devices in a manner that agrees with the shifting of the tone all through the narration, which assert the ideology that victory in the battle of death is impossible. The author intends to show that the moth’s actions are reflective of human life and that nature is powerful.
In her narration, Virginia Woolf uses a largely ignored …show more content…
In the first paragraph, Woolf’s viewpoint that the moth seemed contented with its life foreshadows the conclusion. The comparison of the moth with the sky in the second paragraph further stresses the frailty of the small but determined insect. Through the mindful shift from personal narratives and the struggle of the moth, the author maintains a comparative narrative of her struggle. Although her size and the moth were incomparable, they both exhibited similar energy. The personification of the moth as a ‘he’ intends to invoke a common bond with the reader whereby the moth was given human characteristics. Life is depicted as a total struggle for all creatures in that even a small insect such as the moth took part in the …show more content…
Fragments like those were used in the construction of the tone of the narration besides giving the meaning of the character of the moth. As the narration progresses, the author uses more intense fragmentation and intentionally takes away from the pathos appeal. The author advances her irrelevance through profound phrases such as “I laid the pencil down,” “I looked out of doors, ' the struggle was over” “ the horses stood still” among other phrases as seen in the second paragraph. The phrases show the indifference of the world and mere acceptance of an individual’s personal battles. The narrator maintains the pathos appeal for the audience through literary devices that strengthen reader’s sympathy towards the moth, care, and concern that was not afforded to the character from any other
In her narration, Virginia Woolf uses a largely ignored …show more content…
In the first paragraph, Woolf’s viewpoint that the moth seemed contented with its life foreshadows the conclusion. The comparison of the moth with the sky in the second paragraph further stresses the frailty of the small but determined insect. Through the mindful shift from personal narratives and the struggle of the moth, the author maintains a comparative narrative of her struggle. Although her size and the moth were incomparable, they both exhibited similar energy. The personification of the moth as a ‘he’ intends to invoke a common bond with the reader whereby the moth was given human characteristics. Life is depicted as a total struggle for all creatures in that even a small insect such as the moth took part in the …show more content…
Fragments like those were used in the construction of the tone of the narration besides giving the meaning of the character of the moth. As the narration progresses, the author uses more intense fragmentation and intentionally takes away from the pathos appeal. The author advances her irrelevance through profound phrases such as “I laid the pencil down,” “I looked out of doors, ' the struggle was over” “ the horses stood still” among other phrases as seen in the second paragraph. The phrases show the indifference of the world and mere acceptance of an individual’s personal battles. The narrator maintains the pathos appeal for the audience through literary devices that strengthen reader’s sympathy towards the moth, care, and concern that was not afforded to the character from any other