It seems that the author, Virginia Woolf, was inside her house in the countryside. This was made evident by the presence of animals and the fact that she saw someone plowing a nearby field. It is through this cacophony of activities and sounds that she saw something distinct – a moth. It was not like the rooks that can fly so high that it can reach the sky. These birds were so majestic that even if they decide to roost they appear to be untouchable as they settle on top of trees. Their high-flying aerobatics was a stark contrast to the low flying capabilities of a moth. The moth does not reside on tall trees but these little winged insects are more often than not confined to the inner fold of curtains and more often than not stuck behind a window pane unable to get out. The author observed how the moth tried to eagerly interact with its environment, even if its life expectancy was shorter than a day’s length and by doing so the author was able to understand life and death.
It was already mid-September but surprisingly the weather outside the author’s home was like that of summer. As a result every living creature outside was alive with the sudden boost of energy brought by the early morning air. She could feel life pulsating from the field and it was hard for her to concentrate on what she was reading. But aside from the activities outside her room she was also distracted by the presence of an ordinary moth. She described it in relation to the outdoors and what she wrote describes the general direction of the story:
One could not help watching him. One was, indeed, conscious of a queer feeling of pity for him. The possibilities of pleasure seemed that morning so enormous and so various that to have only a moth’s part in life, and a day moth’s at that appeared a hard fate, and his zest enjoying his meager opportunities to the full, pathetic (Woolf).
The author spent considerable time describing the insignificance of the moth. It was a winged insect but was not like the bright colored butterflies. When butterflies flutter in the air there is a certain grace and mastery of movement that allow it to hop from one flower to another. The moth on the other hand was ugly. When it flutters its wing one can feel a sense of repulsiveness and instead of moving towards it, one is more inclined to move away.
It was easy for the author to dismiss the moth as another insignificant little creature. But after a while the author was forced to change her mind when she noticed that against all odds, the moth decided that it will live life to the fullest. The moth tried to interact with the creatures that it had seen through the window pane. The moth moved from side-to-side within the confines of the window pane. But it can go no further. It was as if the moth would like to break-free and shatter the glass just so it can roam the fields and take one more long flight before it succumbs to the invitation of death.
The moth had limited movement but it was able to perform actions with great sense of urgency and purpose. Then all of a sudden the moth began to lose strength. It grew weaker by the minute until finally it was contented to dwell in the bottom part of the window pane. Still with one last burst of energy the moth attempted to fly once more. This time the Moth was no longer able to stay on the window, the moth fell on its back and rested on the window sill. The moth struggled to right itself so it can resume its previous position and thus partake of the action that can be seen outside.
While the moth could not stand on its own feet the farm animals and the bids outside the room were very quiet. It was as if they were mindful of what had happened to the moth but in truth these creatures were simply taking a break. While the moth lay dying the birds and animals outside were simply resting. These creatures were anticipating for more work and more opportunities. On the other hand the moth was not even thinking beyond the present for it will die before it can see another sunrise. This mindset enabled the moth to perform at its best knowing that there will be no rehearsals before the final act.
While the moth was showing the author how to live, she was reminded of the fact that so many creatures on earth have grown cynical about the purpose of their existence. In fact there are those who are apt to forget about life, “…seeing it humped and bossed and garnished and cumbered so that it has to move with the greatest circumspection” (Woolf). The moth was teaching her an important lesson, one that she will never forget for a very long time.
At firs the author had pity on the moth. It was not a pretty little creature that one can play with; it was a moth, an ordinary insect. Compared to all the animals in the field it was of little value. There were beasts of burden that helped in man’s labor such as the farming animals who were great helpers in ensuring that there will always be food to eat. But the moth did not have that kind of contribution. It was not even fit to be eaten and therefore it was hard to appreciate why this type of insect were even created in the first place. At some point these insects can be considered as a nuisance. Without a doubt moths had been in existence for a very long time and yet it was an insignificant part of the landscape.
This view was strengthened when the moth was compared to the rooks. These were majestic creatures that were experts in aerial stunts. These birds may not be able to participate in farm work but they serve another beautiful purpose. The author described in breath-taking language the graceful movement of the birds on top of the trees. But when it comes to the moth the writer can only do so with a few unflattering words. But this was only temporary as the author began to understand that the moth was placed on earth to teach crucial lessons regarding life and death.
It was the vigor of life inside the little tiny body of the moth that was awe-inspiring. The odds were stacked against it. It had no physical advantages over other animals and most importantly it has a very short life span and yet it found a way to enjoy the last remaining hours of its life. While the other animals were resting in the middle of the day to replenish their strength, in anticipation of future work ahead, the moth was already approaching the last few stages of its life. It was an amazing contrast the horses and the birds were simply warming up and continually evolving and growing. The moth on the other hand was fully developed even before the sun had set in the horizon.
It was a life well-spent. The moth taught the author that life can be so short there is no time to consider the negative things that happened in the past. The longer the life expectancy the more time can be spent brooding about past mistakes and its impact on the present. But the shorter the life expectancy the less time spent on thinking about the hardships of the past years. Then there can be a renewed purpose of completing tasks that needed to be completed before the day is done. This was one of the major messages of the story.
Aside from teaching about life, the moth had many things to teach about death. First of all the moth was not afraid of death. It did not wait for death to come; it went on living without anticipating its demise. One memorable line that best describes the mortal combat between Death and the moth can be seen in the following statement, “Also, when there was nobody to care or to know, this gigantic effort on the part of an insignificant little moth, against a power of such magnitude, to retain what no one else valued or desired to keep, moved one strangely” (Woolf). Then all of a sudden as if someone had flipped the light switch on and thus finally one could see the underlying meaning of the story.
All the while it seems that the author was comparing how others gave very little value regarding life as compared to how the moth valiantly tried to fight back death to enjoy a few more seconds of existence. All the while it seems that the author was describing the struggles of others when it comes to their losing effort to find purpose and the inspiration to go on living for one more day. But in the aforementioned line regarding the struggle of the insignificant little moth it was made clear that the one struggling to live was none other than the author herself. The whole story was not about the plants, animals, and birds that can be found outside her room. The real story was about what was happening within her.
The reader was made to see what was happening in the fields, with the farm animals and other spectacles but it was the war that was raging within the author that was the most important aspect of the story. It was not easy to detect at first until the author said that she was moved by the courageous stand of the moth. She was so amazed at how a tiny creature can defy death when a human being – a thousand times bigger – can easily give up. The author found inspiration in the moth, that she must continue to press on and not entertain ideas about dying and of giving up.
Works Cited
Woolf, Virgiania. “The Death of The Moth”. Web.