Living Like Weasels
In the essay Living Like Weasels, Annie Dillard argues that a person should live life with a purpose and with tenacity like the Weasel does. The essay begins with Dillard describing how a Weasel has a tenacity to hold on to a prey’s neck or when it feels in danger, and would accept death at the talons of an eagle to keep his tenacity alive. Dillard goes on to describe her walk to Murray’s pond her favorite place to be in nature to forget about the world as she is relaxing on a tree trunk a Weasel appears in front of her. The encounter left the two dumbfounded for a brief moment in time; furthermore, the encounter left Annie to wonder how a Weasel thinks. Dillard acquires a new insight on how a Weasel lives as he should, by necessity, and she suspects that is the answer to live by for her. Dillard states, “I missed my chance. I should have gone for the throat.” indicating her opportunity to change her live may have already passed; she uses this example to support her statement that people should live the way they want “yielding to their necessity”, rather than by choice. Dillard concludes with telling the reader to grasp to their necessity and live the way they want to, for not even death can tear you apart when you have chosen how you want to live, just like the eagle did not tear the Weasel a part from his