Assignment 6: Choices

Assignment 6: Choices

               There are a number of writer choices that are really self-evident in this essay. For example, she decided that her essay would revolve around the 2003 World Taxidermy Competition; she decided to talk about the history of taxidermy, a taxidermy website, how taxidermy is another form of art that contestants in the competition take very seriously, as well as the diversity of people who take up this trade.

               I believe she decided that the competition would be the backdrop of her story because the competition allowed her to meet a wide variety of people from all different walks of life that take up taxidermy as a hobby or as a job. In addition, she was able to see the best of the best dead animals come to life at this every other year competition. The competition was really the best way for her to immerse herself into this culture and take advantage of all the resources that were at her disposal.

               Orleans also talked about the history of taxidermy. I believe this is essential to every piece of literature that is like this article. By giving her followers some background information, she is allowing the readers to see where the trade has been, where it is now, and where it may end up in the future. Knowing the history, allows us as the readers to see the progression of taxidermy throughout time. It allows us to see that taxidermy used to be considered a black art and now it is a widely accepted, multimillion dollar business, which many companies, museums, and hunters take advantage of.

               Talking about the website was also an essential writer choice that Susan Orleans decided to take advantage of. There are two reasons I think she decided to talk about the website. For starters, I think she quoted some of the post from the blog in her essay because those quotes show how the taxidermist think putting an animal’s skin over a mannequin is completely normal.  She also wanted to show her readers how taxidermists interact with one another.  Secondly, I think she brought up the website, so her readers will go and look it up themselves, which will hopefully aid her readers in making up their own opinions about how they feel about the trade.

               One other writer choice that I’d like to talk about is how Susan Orlean decided to include in her essay the desire every taxidermist has to make everything perfect.  In her essay, she writes, “The taxidermists take the competition very seriously.” Then she goes into detail listing all the different lengths taxidermists go through to make a complete master piece.

               Overall, I think immersing herself in this culture by going to the World competition was the best decision she could have made. She could have gone to any local taxidermists and wrote about his or her experiences, but instead she decided to go to this competition, which allowed her to learn what taxidermy is all about on a global level.