Name: Fabien Calloud

“Living Like Weasels” by Annie Dillard

65-66 *** What distinctive thing do weasels do?***

Weasels are wild, that is what is Dillard describes them. There are several distinctive things that weasels do.
The first, is that they live in an underground den, in which sometimes the weasel may stay two days without
leaving. The second distinctive thing that a weasel does he stalks his prey such as, rabbits, mice, muskrats. He
then attacks on his pray by biting their neck, he does this by “splitting the jugular vein at the throat or
crunching the brain at the base of the skull”

66 How did a weasel apparently get attached to an eagle?

The weasel apparently got attached to an eagle by attacking the weasel. Since, the weasel’s instinct is to bit the
neck, that is how the dry skull of a weasel supposedly found its way attached to an eagle.

69 *** What is a "calling"? *** (Get this -- or the remaining questions make no sense!)
According to Dillard, what should we do about our calling? Why is our calling important?

According to Dillard, a “calling” is something that we born to do and at some point, during our life that
“calling” will appear to us and we will know what we have to do. Dillard believes that a “calling” is a part of
who we are and that it is important to see through what the calling wants us to do, it’s like our destiny. Dillard
also believes that our “calling” should be what we do and it our choice to follow rather than doing want
everybody else is doing and following what others are doing. Our “calling” is important because according to
Dillard its who we are and what we’re meant to do of our life. However, she also says that is what we do with
our “calling” is our choice, and that’s what’s important.

70 *** What does Dillard mean: our "single" or "one necessity"? Why "necessity"?

In my opinion when Dillard employs the word “single” or “one necessity” she’s talking about how it is
important that we hold on to our one skill that we exceed in and to keep that skill is what she defines as a
“necessity”. It’s also that skill that will drive us to wherever it leads us to. It could lead to our calling and that
what I think Dillard is trying to demonstrate that a “necessity” is what we need in our life to find our calling.
The last paragraph of the passage describes how the “necessity” is an important aspect of our life.

*** Dillard talks about eyes, flesh and bones. What earlier incident is she referring to?

When Dillard is talking about eyes, flesh and bones she is referring to the incident that happened with the
weasel and the eagle. She uses the words, eyes, flesh and bones to describe the weasel after it’s altercation with
the eagle, and how at the end all there was left was flesh and bones.

*** How can we "live like weasels"? And why must we do so?

The way we can “live like weasels” is if we live a happy life and not care about what’s happening around us.
The weasel can stay in his den for 2 days without coming out, and also, they live without fear and they follow
what they want. The essential part here is to live a life of enjoyment and do what makes us happy. I think it is
important why we should do this because life is meant to be enjoyed and lived out the way we like. I believe
that life is too short for us to not enjoy every moment we have. People have a lot influence on us and if we
spend our life listening to everyone and doing what they we can’t enjoy life as we please.

Have you ever felt anything like this (a calling)?

When I was 16 years old, I had to make the biggest decision of my life which was if I continue playing tennis I
would have to move to France, and that time I was living in Tokyo, or stop playing tennis and stay with my
parents because I couldn’t do both in Tokyo. I believe that this was a calling for me because it made me really
think about what I was going to do with my life and if I was ready to stop playing a sport that I have played
since I was 4. I made the decision to leave and to continue playing tennis and studying at the same time, I was
at an academy where I did both, study and play tennis. Thinking about it today I am very happy with my

130
 Name: Fabien Calloud
“Living Like Weasels” by Annie Dillard
decision because it led me here, at Northwest, where I’m playing the sport that I love and I’m working towards
my business degree.

How might a calling differ from choosing a major or a career?

A calling may differ from choosing a major or a career because a calling is a feeling that no matter what is
happening in life whether it’s bad or good you forget about it and go where the calling leads you. A major or a
career is something that you think hard and long as it defines your life. One factor that can differentiate them is
money, on one hand choosing a career leads you to money however when you sense a calling you don’t think
about the money you could gain or even lose you just go with it because that feeling is more powerful than
anything in life.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Favorite sentence from “Weasels” (quote it and give page number)? (& why?)

My favorite sentence from “Weasels” is “The Weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice, hating necessity
and dying at the last ignobly in its talons” ‘(pg 68). This sentence is the one that popped out when I was
reading it because it made me thing about the choices we make and how that affects our life and everything
around us. This made me reflect on the decision I made to move to France all alone and continue what I love
doing, playing tennis. It’s also very true on how a weasel lives in necessity because if he doesn’t feed on his
prays, he will die, and we have a choice on what we eat. I believe that we make a lot of choices, but I think
some things are necessity to us. Overall, I do believe that the choices we make our what makes a person who
he is or becomes.

130