43 pages • 1 hour read
The Writing Life
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Chapter 4Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 4 Summary
This two-page chapter discusses a mystical occurrence that Dillard calls exemplary of the writing life: She writes alone in a house, and her typewriter erupts into flames. Dillard leaves the typewriter alone for a moment to go upstairs, but soon feels the whole house shaking from the typewriter’s tremors. The surrounding furniture, upholstery, and even her own clothes become pockmarked from sparks, but the typewriter appears undamaged, despite the flames pouring from between the keys. Dillard gets the fire under control and tentatively goes to sleep. The typewriter does not erupt again, but Dillard remains cautious now that she knows its volatility.
Chapter 4 Analysis
Dillard begins the chapter with a rhetorical question, “What is the writing life?” (63), before jumping into her story. This indicates that the tale is symbolic—contrary to her claims of not knowing whether it was real or if she “dreamed” it (63). The writing life, therefore, involves the threat of one’s tools fighting back. Like her earlier images of the feral lion or the tyrant, the exploding typewriter symbolizes the antagonistic relationship between a writer and their work. Dillard explains, much like the story of missing visits with the terminally ill writing, that the typewriter explodes while she is out of the room.
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By Annie Dillard
