Annie Dillard's "The Giant Water Bug"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Annie Dillard's essay on "The Giant Water Bug" begins as an example of nonfiction, meditative nature writing and ends with a murder---of the frog. The author points out that,to convey a sense of meandering in her thoughts and her walking path while she watches the frog, Dillard uses long sentences and often repeats words, particularly adjectives. The paper relates that the injection of biological language suggests a sharp change in narrative tone and a reminder of the scientific aspects of nature and natural survival.

From the Paper:

"Nature's real ugliness injects itself into the homespun narratives about frogs. A lower life form begins to devour a higher life form. The giant water bug that the author had only read about and appreciated in an academic sense rears its ugly head. She knows it "eats insects, tadpoles, fish, and frogs." But suddenly its presence injects drama into the descriptive passage. Now the fear and ominous nature of the passage's description of the frog's skin, its fear, and the occasional use of biological vocabulary becomes all comes together."

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