The Deer at Providencia

The Deer at Providencia (1982) is an essay by Annie Dillard. In this essay, she purposes that throughout our lives there is just time where we will not be able to imagine the suffering that other people go through. Dillard supports this by conversations with fellow peers, after they all witnessed an emotional event. I feel the author’s purpose was to inform the reader of her feelings and experiences, without being biased towards one side or the other, though saying this, Dillard makes a very emotional concern with the audience due to the sensitive subject matter.

            Reading this essay I automatically put myself in Dillard’s shoes. If I myself were to witness the event she went through, the struggling of a captured and injured deer, just waiting for its own death, then I too would have the same reaction. Dillard could have done something, but stood in unemotional silence. So as I thought about it, I felt I would do the same, as in reality, what is there you can really do for a deer captured by a tribe about to eat it? They are not going to just let it go. Dillard the goes on to speak about burns victims, and how because of their intense suffering many go on to commit suicide. This culminates in the story of Alan MacDonald, who was badly burned at 13 and again in later life. Dillard links the stories of the two, almost comparing the struggles of the captured deer to the non-ending saga of Alan MacDonald’s life, how they are both suffering indefinitely.

            I enjoyed reading this essay, I like the way it was written and how it linked two very different situations together through a single common theme, how different things suffer. The last impression it has left on me is that I will refrain from using the phrase “I know how you feel”, unless it really is applicable.

Rhys Jukes