Total Eclipse

Philosophers have long grappled with the transience of human life. The Stoics, for example, viewed life as a brief moment in the vast expanse of time, advocating for a life of virtue and acceptance of death. Likewise, Buddhism stresses the impermanence of all things. Dillard’s essay aligns with these philosophical positions, prompting readers to grapple with the inevitability of mortality and the brevity of human endeavors.

Upon the passage of the moon between Earth and the sun, Yakima Valley is temporarily plunged into darkness. The ephemeral nature of the event, which takes place in the span of minutes, serves as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life relative to the longevity of the universe. Just as quickly as it begins and envelops the landscape in its shadow, it also ends, restoring light and warmth. This occurrence resembles the human life cycle, encompassing the stages of birth, existence, and death. Through her comparison of her surroundings to a film—“I was watching a faded color print of a movie filmed in the Middle Ages” (18)—Dillard further builds upon this theme, as films, too, have clear beginnings and endings.

As the sun is obscured, so too is Dillard’s