Foreshadowing In The Rattler

Who is man to decide the worth of any life? Why does man hold this false sense of superiority in regard to other species? Humans have always made gods out of themselves, when they are no more than ants. People live their lives trapped in an illusion they created from their morals— all because they want to play hero. In reality, everything is subjective, including one’s definition of good and evil. The short text, The Rattler, focuses on a presumed male narrator, who struggles with a moral conflict when he encounters a snake during a walk in the desert. After recognizing the threat the snake poses on his home, he is left with an ultimatum; to either let the snake go or kill him. In the end, he chooses to kill the snake, as he finds it his virtuous responsibility to protect his home and those he cares about. In The Rattler, the author uses the personification of

Through the snake’s intelligence, his fair treatment of the man, and his gruesome death, the author evokes compassion in the reader. When the man firsts comes across the snake, his instinct is not to attack, but to “watch what [the man] would do,” and “[hold] his ground in calm watchfulness” as he “[waits] for [the narrator] to show [his] intentions.” The snake’s neutral approach reveals his intelligence and his confidence. He is aware of his power; knows that in one swift move he can easily kill the narrator. But instead of doing so, he keeps a calm exterior, understanding that the man has yet to provoke him, and therefore there is no reason to attack. Furthermore, though the