Annie Dillard naturally writes in first person since An American Childhood is an autobiography of her life. Strangely, the narrator tells the story from the point of view of whatever age Dillard was at that point in time but with amplified adult word choice. Obviously, a child would not think of the figurative language described to the reader, but the imaginative observations are clearly only from a child's perspective. Previously, I referred to the examination of skin to past the time. This excerpt encompasses one aspect of the child's perspective on life:
"Loose under their shinbones, as in hammocks, hung the relaxed flesh of their calves. You could push and swing this like a baby in a swing. Their heals were dry and hard, sharp at the curved edge. The bottom of their toes had flattened, holding the imprint of life's smooth floors even when they were lying down. I would not let this happen to me."
The reader can see Annie Dillard pushing the calve muscle of her parents back and forth, watching it swing. These small amusements in life are what separate childhood from adulthood. While no child has the same experiences in life, Dillard connects through the imagination and observation common to all children. An American Childhood encompasses the essence of young human behavior so that all readers may connect and laugh at the funny ways a child learns about life.
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