Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

I am responding to “Horns of the Alter” which is a chapter in the book “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard. In the beginning of the chapter Annie talks mainly about how fascinated she is by a copperhead snakes. A couple of pages in she goes on talking about a mosquito that landed on the copperhead’s back, sucked its blood dry and killed it. For many pages to follow she explicitly talks about parasites and every which aspect about them. At the end Annie philosophically relates parasites to everyday life, such as how we as humans are expected to be drained or broken down as Annie shows in this quote “It must be, I think tonight, that in a certain sense only the newborn in this world are whole, that as adults we are expected to be, and…

thinking individuals, to which one can communicate and connect their thoughts to the everyday world. Even though humans may take this gift for granted, it is only when the ability begins to diminish that one seems to understand how crucial it is really is to everyday life. Although, even while losing this gift, the individual may not even know it, for the reality one creates is only visible to that one person, and in turn, that person usually does not realize that this perspective is not what…

A head strong woman who followed the steps of Henry David Thoreau to write the book “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. She isolated her self in the wilderness and solely compared her observations with her thoughts on society and religion. In Dillard’s younger years she was considered a firecracker. She had many talents from drawing, painting to insect collecting, however her true passion was ball playing. Dillard was not afraid to sun bathe in outdoor activities, in…

thousand different kinds of insects; insects also represent about eighty percent of the world’s species. Recently, soil samples were taken from an acre in North Carolina; it was revealed that in that one acre, with the depth of five inches, there were approximately 124 million creatures to be found. These facts serve as a reminder that the world is close to bursting with these tiny beings, yet we as humans barely take the time to notice them. There are those rare few, however, who have…

While coming upon a reading by Annie Dillard which was assigned by my drawing instructor. I have come to realize seeing is a special attribute. Annie Dillard an author, narrates her childhood in the book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. She writes on how we perceive our world and universe. One extreme example she uses people that have cataracts, or blind since birth. These people don’t know the meaning of what color, form, and distance mean. Our vision as an artist is to capture our perspective and let…

Dillard In-Class Write Annie Dillard includes two major analogies in her text, “The Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” including the penny game she used to play as a child and the gaps that house the spirits. Dillard uses the penny game not to disappoint strangers with a mere penny but rather to “cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity,” showing the importance of little things that can make your day. (Dillard 22) Dillard also uses the gaps as well to emphasize the importance of little things,…

Annie Dillard, in the book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, explores the true elements of nature while finding her inner self. Dillard argues that society has lost touch with nature and lost sight of it’s true beauty. Dillard supports her argument by telling personal stories of her exploring nature and comparing society to it. The author’s purpose is to have artificial materials not be the most important part of society so that society can once again have a greater sense and appreciation for the nature…