Lenses

Through this short essay, I believe Annie Dillard intends to recreate the life process of maturing. She is able to accomplish this by comparing an individual’s perspective at different points in life, to “lenses”, as the title illustrates. At the beginning the author states that viewing through lenses “is an acquired skill.” This means that the ability to successfully observe isn’t immediate, and rather requires of further development. I think Dillard is trying to compare this first experience to that of an infant. As toddlers, we don’t really have a personal point of view. Since we’re so immature, we follow our elders every step of the way, listen, imitate. In these early stages of growth, we’re still trying to make sense of the world. Further on, Dillard reveals her encounter with science through the use of a microscope as a grown child. At this point in time, she’s already developed the skill to observe through complex lenses; in other words, she’s already developed her own perspectives. Just like any other child her age, she’s attracted to all that’s amusing and fun. The author admits that she “loved that deep, wet world where the colored algae waved in the water and the rotifers swarm”. These descriptions enhance what children focus on at such a young age. Their points of view entail most of what’s amazing entertainment, like the reduction of bacteria. But once Dillard reaches adulthood, the lenses of her binoculars center on more profound visions. As a grown woman, she’s “excited […] to see whistling swans in Daleville, Virginia”. This image represents what’s mostly in the mind of an adult. Rather than focusing on play, her perspective reaches out to meaningful aesthetics instead. Now, she takes interest in the serene flight of two swans, which express her maturity. In conclusion, I think the lenses represent the evolution the author takes as time passes by.