The Death of the Moth SOAPST Analysis

The Death of the Moth is peculiar in the aspect of the purpose or message of the passage is not clear, one has to read between the lines to unveil the hidden facets of the piece. The subject of the matter is simply a moth on a mission to get to the other side of the clear, glass window. This is where it gets a little tricky; the occasion is the author, Virginia Woolf, writing this essay after watching, and getting emotionally moved by, the gentle moth on its journey to the beautiful outdoors. The audience, naturally, would be whoever decided to read this passage. The essay has no real intended audience for it is not a letter or a speech. The purpose of this passage is to make the readers think about life and about how we are all just little moths doing all we can to get to a happier place in our lives. Although it is not directly mentioned, the author intended to compare the moth's struggles to the problems us humans face every day. An alternate purpose could be that no matter how hard we try, we will all be just a dead bug resting in a windowsill. The speaker is Virginia Woolf. The tone is what really seals the deal. The tone changes many times during the passage, starting off with beautifully vivid adjectives and ending with dark, bleak adjectives. The SOAPST, in essence, makes the passage special. It adds a special touch that you cannot feel without rethinking and imagining the scenarios the author portrays. The SOAPST is crucial for any piece of literature, but it is particularly critical in The Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf.