It doesn't get much more isolated than living alone in a cabin in the woods. Taking her cue from Thoreau, in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Dillard nestles up to the creek to, as she says, "see what I could see." Who needs human companionship when you have insects? The author spent up to sixteen hours a day alone in her cabin, writing and reading lots of books about nature. If it seems like a difficult lifestyle choice, while we won't try to sway you one way or the other, we will point out that doing so ultimately earned Dillard a Pulitzer.
Questions About Isolation
- Could Dillard have written Pilgrim at Tinker Creek if she'd had a roommate? Would she have seen the tree with lights in it if she'd been hiking with a friend?
- Does isolation cause suffering, alleviate it, or some combination of the two?
- Is it possible to be isolated in the city? How would Annie answer that question?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Isolation is necessary for true seeing.
Annie Dillard gets cabin fever at Tinker Creek, which drives her deeper into the arms of nature.