Suffering

     "The Deer at Providencia" by Annie Dillard is a simple narrative of chronological events that conveys the idea of suffering and how no amount of empathy can make someone understand the personal suffering of another. The passage begins with the group in an Ecuadorian jungle stumbling upon a small deer tied to a tree. The group watches the deer suffer and struggle without commentary. Eventually the deer bores the North Americans of the group and they begin to eat lunch. In this lunch is meat: fish and deer. The group returns to viewing the deer and the men of the group notice Dillard's detached demeanor and comment on it's strangeness " If it were my wife, she couldn't bare to see a creature in agony like that" (Dillard 89).
After the occurrence in The Ecuadorian jungle Dillard returns home and reads the story of a man who was burned twice in his life.
     At first glance I felt sorrowful and hopeless for the deer and the burnt man. The suffering of the two is almost incomprehensible unless you have been in the exact situation of the two, but even then the suffering may be different from person to person. For example losing a loved one might produce more suffering for me than it would to another person based on many factors. Despite all the factors that go into determining how much someone is suffering no one can truly understand each other's suffering. Universal Suffering is also seen in Dillard's piece, as in suffering exists everywhere, even in the jungle.
   The most prominent theme is Dillard's piece is clearly suffering. Although Dillard's narrative is very event based with little explanation at all the events of the narrative provide Dillard's explanation of suffering and it's universal existence in this world. The juxtaposition of the deer in the jungle and the burnt man in Miami demonstrates that suffering is everywhere and it is very much a large part of life. Without suffering humans will never become stronger, appreciate good things, or cherish those whom treat them well. Most people would claim that any God would not allow this much suffering to exist but if there were no suffering then who would appreciate eternal salvation? The narrative and simple facade of Dillard's piece only amplifies her explanation of suffering.

-Alex Simpson