Returning to Earth-Week 5, Post A

Vocab:
-Intravenous (146): Of, pertaining to, employed in, or administered by injection into a vein.
-Hubris (148): Excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

Figurative Language:
"At one time I found this inconceivable because men love to think of themselves as the singular dog on the block despite the presence of others." (151) This statement represents a metaphor describing David's old reaction to Polly showing interest in other men.

"I said to my uncle Fred on his brief visit this summer that we tend to live withing a grey egg and rarely break through the shell to see life as it is..."(154) This statement is an example of symbolism in which the grey egg represents our natural avoidance of harsh reality.

"Fred and a raven in a fir tree were staring at each other as if the bird had hypnotized the man." (154) This statement represents a similie describing the strong connection felt between Fred and a raven in the woods.

Quote:
"I reminded myself that my persistent life question, "How do we live with what we know?" didn't cover everything and that I might humorously add, "How do we live with what we don't know?" (155) This quote gave me great insight into the kind of person David is. He seems to be a very intellectual and deep-thinking being. His observations on life are quite thought provoking. After reading this passage I was forced to read it several more times in order to fully understand what he was saying. It appears that Donald's recent death has caused David to see life in a whole new light. He previously viewed life a scientific journey, however I think Donald's death has allowed David to see life in a more spiritual way. He used to think he knew everything (possibly too much) about life and that used to scare him. Now, he questions whether he is truly the beacon of all knowledge and is afraid of the things in life he doesn't know. The things that very well may sneak up on him.

Theme:
The theme that seems to take place in this passage is re-examination. A death is a very powerful experience, when it's not your own. David seems to be re-examining many aspects he thought to be true about life before Donald's death.