Living like Weasels reflects on the writer’s Annie Dillard first encounter with a weasel and presents her arguments as well as interpretation of the moment

Living like Weasels reflects on the writer’s Annie Dillard first encounter with a weasel and presents her arguments as well as interpretation of the moment. She does put forward an argument outlining her admiration for the weasel’s way of life. She does state that weasels do not live by their choice, motive or bias like humans do, but they instead live out of pure necessity. She does propose the idea of going about the activities of life in a wild and careless manner just like the weasels do. Dillard does also argue that it would be best for one to yield to the necessity of living as intended. As Dillard states “We can live anyway we want” (25).
Basically, Dillard tries to put forward the argument that a weasel possess the freedom to live in a careless manner and solely by necessity while the human beings choose to live on the other on the other hand can identify necessity with things that are miscellaneous and be shaped by bias, motive, among other factors. Perhaps, if people can just understand the purity that exists in the mindlessness weasel’s way of life, then each person would result to living life in a manner that they want and not be bounded by imposed human behavior and regulations, or societal norms and expectations and that one should find a necessity and live by it. Dillard does contrast the concept of freedom of life by stating “it would be well, and proper and obedient, and pure to grasp your one necessity and not let it go” (25). In the view of Dillard, we as humans do not need many of the things that we deem as necessary for survival. What we need is pure living that is based on that moment and one’s own time. In her point of view, human beings should be able to learn from the wild freedom possessed by weasels “yielding at every moment to the perfect freedom of single necessity” (25).
Both the texts present understandings that are quite different in their view what life entails and present vies that are quite varying. In “My Grandmother’s Shroud”, Teju Cole puts across different views on how humans should live their lives using her departed grandmother as an example. Cole narrates how her grand lives her life in accordance with Muslims teachings and customs. While Dillard argues that we should live life without being restricted may any commitment to social norms or behavior, Cole’s grandmother life was a contrast to Dillard’s argument. Cole state that “She was deeply consoled by her religion but not doctrinaire” (64). She remained serene and good-natured in addition to being kind and tolerant. Cole further goes ahead to explain how his grandmother cared for him and did not live life freely. He said that “While I was a student in the United States, she sent me a white hand-woven cotton blanket” (64). Cole is affected by the death stating that “the grieving heart does not care for logic, and it refuses comparison”(64). However, if Cole was to live like the wild Weasels as Dillard proses, then the death of her grandmother would not have such a profound effect on him simply because he would understand it to be a part of leaving a free life with no attachments. Death comes with vulnerability and renders humans powerless despite all the efforts they had put in place to make something out of their lives.
The second article “My Grandmother’s Shroud” changes my views on the argument presented by Dillard. While I do tend to agree to a certain degree with how Dillard proposes that we should live our lives, without restrictions. We do have a duty to ensure that we follow the norms and practice behaviors that are in accordance with what society demands such that even after we are dead, our deeds can remind people of the kind of life we lived and why we deserve to be remembered. According to Dillard, if people can just understand the purity that exists in the mindlessness weasel’s way of life, then each person would result to living life in a manner that they want and not be bounded by imposed human behavior and regulations, or societal norms and expectations and that one should find a necessity and live by it.
I have lost close people in my life and what reminds me of them is how they lived their lives while here on earth. We have a duty to reflect on the argument of freedom of choice. As much as we believe that to be able to choose is to be free, at times this argument may not be true. It is important to focus on what makes one happy and the deepest human qualities by being able to understand the essence of life. As such, where there are numerous choices to choose from and are in a dilemma to choose, then one is doomed for trying to overthink what will happen in the future and thus we can only live in the present.