Jest and Earnest Essay by David Woolf

Jest and Earnest essay
by David Woolf
<Tab/>Annie Dillard's "Jest and Earnest" is a complete contradiction. It compares three different points of views. The title itself is a juxtaposition, the word jest has to do with fun, and earnest is a sort of conservative seriousness. Dillard tries to convey her beliefs on creation and how even seemingly complete opposites have something in common. She depicts for us a vivid description of an occurrence and then justifies that occurrence. The imagery in her essay moves from a depiction of an atrocious act, to a description of beauty…