Lenses and How They Affect Us Metaphorically and Physically Essay Sample
Annie Dillard’s collection of essays portrays the idea that lenses affect our perspectives metaphorically, and these filters can affect us in positive and negative ways. Anytime the term “Lenses” will be mentioned in this essay , it is referring to the way people portray things (whether it be physically, or mentally envisioning something.)
Every since I was a little kid, I have always loved music and admired it. I loved making music, and especially showing other people my talent of the violin and the piano. Not everybody has the same passion as me, nor do I have the same passion as everybody else. But that is what makes us unique, and gives us a different lens on the world. Dillard’s collection of essays is related to the idea of filters, and how they affect us. In this context, my filter is music. Not everybody sees the same amount of clarity through the same filter. Just like someone else’s filter could be highly directed on the concept of sports, them and I would not see the same perspective due to the fact that we have two different interests.
In the following three essays being analyzed “Lenses”, “Total Eclipse,” and “An Expedition to the Pole”, the overarching idea that Dillard is trying to convey to the reader is how lenses affect our perspectives metaphorically, and that the filters that we see through can affect us in positive and negative ways. A few examples of metaphorical lenses could be described as Fear or Love, due to their generic description. Due to the commonality of these “lenses” they are metaphorical because of how many people experience these. Fear of death, or fear of losing a loved one are examples of metaphorical lenses due to the commonality and how everybody in the world, unfortunately has to experience these feelings.
For one, the essay “Lenses” is discussing how lenses affect our outside influences. Dillard first mentions specific types of microscopes and binoculars, as being a comparison of two different perspectives. With an object like a microscope, you can see things up close by looking through an eyepiece, whereas if looked at by your naked eye, it is unseeable. “I burnt out or broke my five-watt bulb… carried a seventy-five-watt bulb.” (Dillard 103) This idea of a lens, is Dillard changing her amount of perspective and the amount she wants to change. For example, the five-watt bulb could represent her at a very young age. For example, at a young age, typically kids do not have a very large or imaginative perspective, and a five-watt bulb is not very vibrant or bright therefore it is representative of the five-watt bulb. “I was about twelve, immortal and invulnerable, and did not know what I was doing.” (103) Typically, twelve year olds are at the age to where they believe they know everything about everyone, and they understand the world perfectly. This line fits perfectly, because it exhibits that trait of the age group. They would still be considered in the five-watt bulb description, because of their lack of maturity and independence. The transition between the five watt and the seventy five watt bulb, represents the transitions in your life, and how you are slowly gaining more knowledge of the world. In terms of life, this would most likely happen during the teenager phase. The seventy-five-watt bulb represents an older teenager (18-19) or an adult. A reason for this is because teenagers have more of an opinion, and a more distinguishable impact on the world from kids, they deserve a more diverse perspective. The final example is when Dillard mentions the sun as compared to the previous examples of the brightness of the bulbs. The sun represents adulthood or a more developed teenager perspective. Dillard uses the metaphor of the sun, as a lens to show that adults or more developed teenagers have a more developed lens compared to little kids, as well as showing that with growing up comes a lot more responsibilities. As a kid, typically you are handheld through your life and you do not have much of an opinion. As time goes on, you gain more of a perspective and start to gain more responsibilities (which represents the 75 watt bulb.)
The second essay that will be related to the overarching idea of perspectives affecting our lives metaphorically in positive and negative ways is “Total Eclipse.” In the exposition of the essay, Dillard compares a partial eclipse to kissing a man, and a total eclipse to marrying a man. “Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse, as kissing a man does to marrying him” (Dillard 14) This passage shows a reference of permanence. One example of Dillard showing permanence is when she talks about how a partial eclipse is like kissing a man. For a real world example, kissing somebody is temporary just like a partial eclipse. Under some circumstances, anybody can kiss anybody and have not have a major problem. However, with the quote ‘marrying a man,’ marrying is much more permanent. Marrying is committing your life to your significant other. The correlation to the book, would be a lens that lasts temporarily. An example of a temporary lens would be grief or despair. Everyone in the world must deal with grief or despair, however, it is a temporary lens because it does not affect the rest of your life typically. An example of a that could relate to the idea of ‘marrying a man’ to prove longevity would be the loss of a family member or a close friend. You will remember that event for the rest of your life, therefore imprinting a depressing or sorrowful time in your life that is very difficult to forget.
The third essay being correlated to the predominant theme of specific lenses are more positive than others is the essay called “Expedition to the Pole.” The main scene of this essay, is when Dillard mentioned how some of the explorers had died. “Polar explorers commonly die of hypothermia, starvation, scurvy or dysentery.” (50) The way Dillard describes the deaths of the explorers shows the idea of life, and how life is not always clear and easy to get through. The difficulty to be prepared for specific events in your lifetime as well as underestimating daunting tasks. For one, not everything in life is easy to figure out. You must dig deeper to find the deeper meaning of specific things. In relation to lenses, you are looking at a deeper meaning or a closer analysis of what you are seeing, while when not looking through a lens, you get very minimal details on your surroundings. The death of the explorers shows unpreparedness because the people who went on the expedition did not bring any of their required materials to survive (such as food or water.) They brought unnecessary materials and expected to survive. In relation to lenses, it demonstrates the idea that if you are not prepared, you miss key ideas. The final idea being brought up, is how the explorers severely underestimated the task of the expedition. “Simplicity and Purity attracted them.” (40) This quote shows not only the amount of confidence that the explorers have towards the expedition, but also the fact that they are not even slightly concerned about the task they are about to face. The conclusion of the expedition is that all the explorers end up dead, mainly because they were not prepared for the journey with their essentials. Lenses is correlated to this, because you can underestimate what you can see, and miss something important when analyzing it. For example, think of somebody looking through a microscope at an organism. If you are not prepared for it (prepared for it, meaning that your expectation might be different from what you find) You will not know what you are required to look for. However, if you know the task, it will make it easier to discuss and observe what is asked for.
Ultimately, this collection of essays show how lenses are related to some excerpts from Annie Dillard’s. Unpreparedness and how it affects the way you perceive life is a major topic in throughout the collection of essays, and throughout the world. Examples of unpreparedness shown in the essay collections is the blizzard from the essay “Expedition to the Pole.” Like stated in the beginning, everybody has different interests. Those interests form your perspectives, and make your perspectives completely different than everyone else’s. As you can see, lenses are related to most everyday events in life. One person may completely dislike music, and one person may completely dislike sports. But we all can share a commonality with our lenses and how they shape our world. In response to the question above. “Lenses: What do they do, represent, and justify?” Lenses shape our perspective, they represent our viewpoints on our life and they justify how we view the world, for good or bad.
