Chapter 5 “Sand” One-Pager

In this excerpt, Dillard uses the overarching motif of burial to convey the idea that despite
the seeming insignificance of the time one person has on earth, individuals still make an impact
on the world and need to make good use of their time.
​ or the Time Being​, and Dillard uses it in this
The motif of burial​ is prominent throughout F
chapter ​to convey the idea that although the life of an individual may seem inconsequential,
there is still purpose.​ ​Dillard talks of how “If you stay still, earth buries you” and that as the dirt
piles up, “pretty soon your feet are underground” (122).​ Dillard points out that if you were still
long enough, you would be buried ​in order to show that humans must make the best of the time
they have on the earth, however short that time may be.​ She uses the phrase “pretty soon” as
hyperbole​ ​because it would clearly take a long time for earth to bury someone by them just
holding still. ​The purpose of this is ​to point out that even though one lifespan may seem
insignificant, it is still enough time to make a difference in the world, which cannot be done by
standing still and waiting to be buried by the earth.
As part of the ​motif of burial​, Dillard employs literal and figurative interpretations of
phrases. ​Dillard also mentions that “the rate at which dirt buries us varies” (123).​ This phrase is
a ​double entendre​, ​as it conveys the literal sense of the phrase and is also a reference to the
different lifespans people have.​ ​This double meaning is important because it further emphasizes
the idea that people only have a limited amount of time and should make good use of that time.
Within the motif of burial, Dillard uses a rhetorical question​ to further illustrate her
purpose.​ She asks “Quick: Why aren’t you dusting?” and goes one to claim that people dust not
only to clean but to “forestall burial” (123).​ Dillard asks this question of her readers because it
seems ridiculous to constantly dust in order to prevent oneself from being buried. ​The “Quick”
adds a sense of urgency that makes the question seem almost amusing. This idea of dusting to
forestall burial furthers her point that people must make the best of their limited time.​ ​She wants
to emphasize that people should not be rushing to dust in order to forestall their burial in dust,
but that people should be out making good use of the small amount of time they are allotted on
this earth.
Using the overarching motif of burial --and within that hyperbole, double entendre, and
rhetorical questions-- Dillard illustrates her point that individuals can still make an important
impact on the world, however inconsequential their one lifespan may feel.