The Deer at Providencia

         Annie Dillard the author of "The Deer of  Providencia" (1982) explores in the her narrative the suffering that takes place in both cultures of developed and under developed countries and the different reactions to these sufferings.The narrative depicts village life in the Amazon jungle seen through the eyes of city travellers on some sort of a pleasure tour.The travelling party comprised of mostly men with one young woman among them enjoying the food and tropical delights that the villagers of Providencia provided. A suffering deer was  the focal point of the story, which suggests that its struggles and suffering is a part of the preparatory ritual of venison in the village. In a carnivorous society, the methods of harnessing meat for eating have long been traditionally staged. The hunter seeks his prey with traps and weapons to kill. Some of these inflict and causes great suffering on the animal before death arrives. This action for some presents a very cruel picture, for others its just a part of the cycle of life. Where there is life, there is suffering. They both walk side by side.

I could not help feeling sad at the examples of suffering in this story, the deer in the village and the man burnt badly laying in the hospital. What is puzzling about this narrative is the strong contrast posed by the author between the unflinching reaction to suffering by all, yet some eyes were on this one woman expecting her to react differently from the others. Of course some women are extremely sensitive to the suffering of animals and humans alike and would have reacted differently as one of the visitor suggested about his wife.

The purpose of this narrative was to sensitize the reader that suffering does exist in our world today that has been accepted as a must without any feelings for the sufferer. I think having seen so much of it around us, in the press, sometime causes us to lose that concern, that care, that compassion. The question of what is going on is posed by the writer to create a kind of cause and effect twist to the writings. Animals must suffer in order to die and be a part of the delightful meals in the food chain. On the other hand suffering from severe burns for the second time in thirteen years was a good enough story to draw the media's attention to the sufferer's question of "Why does God hate me". Sad to say his query did not ease the pain nor solve the mysteries in a world filled with suffering and pain.