The Loss of the Creature

The Loss of the Creature

Dear Trinity,

Congratulations on being admitted to Peace College! I am glad that you have made your decision to come here, in the fall of 2006. Peace College has numerous great opportunities to offer its students. You also told me that you are enrolled in English Composition 101 with Professor Dave Worster. One of the pieces of literature you will encounter in this class will be “The Loss of the Creature”, by Walker Percy. For your preparation to the class I can summarize and give you my explanation of “The Loss of the Creature”. Throughout the essay Percy tries to get across how any person with expectations or “packages” will not be able to fully accept and learn from any experience.

“The Loss of the Creature” starts off with the definition of beautiful, which is a key point throughout his essay. Next, he moves in to his example of a family of tourists, and their experience (through his eyes) at the Grand Canyon. He describes his theory of the sightseer, and the discoverer; “Does a single sightseer, receive the value of P, or only a millionth part of value P” (pg 1) Value P, being the experience, and the beauty in which that person collected. Following the sightseers was a couple who stumbled upon an undisturbed Mexican Village. The couple thoroughly enjoyed their first experience, but could not wait to return with their friend the ethnologist. When they did return with him, they were so caught up in what his reaction would be; there was a total loss of sovereignty. Due to their differences of interest in the village, the couples return trip was a waste. The second part of the essay includes a Falkland Islander who comes across a dead dogfish lying on the beach. Furthermore, he explains how a student with a Shakespeare sonnet, has no chance of being absorbed by a student due to the surrounding’s or package of the class room. The two students are receiving the wrong messages, on one hand we have the biology student with his “magic wand” of a scalpel, and on the other hand the English student with his sonnet in its “many-tissued package”. Both students are unaware of the real experience they could undergo, and the teacher might as well give the dogfish to the English student and the sonnet to the biology student because they will be able to explore and learn more within the different setting, and without the surroundings and expectations (pg 6).

As you read “The Loss of the Creature” several times, you will find it easier to explain and interpret. All the experiences are lost because the packaging hides the real treasure. The tourist family at the Grand Canyon buys a package, go and see it, and return to their lives like nothing has changed. This is due to the package, they are given something, and they take it just the way it is, no questions asked. They are so caught up in following the time frame that they overlook the whole experience. This is also true for the couple and their ethnologist friend in the village. They want their friend to enjoy and validate