The Bigger Picture In Brian Doyle’s essay “Joyas Voladoras” we can explore many intrinsic facts about the hummingbird, and different creatures from the facts Doyle gives us. Doyle’s focus of this short essay seems to be on the heart, and on the hummingbird. But as we read more, we find out it’s not only about a little hummingbird, and the hummingbird’s heart; but a much bigger picture. Doyle’s essay is short, and not quite to the point. As we read, we do not find a thesis statement so it is up to the readers to interpret what they read about. Doyle’s essay could be about hearts, animals, or a much larger picture. Doyle also breaks the rules of writing with his conventional way of writing. His essay is six paragraphs long, and it leaves a lot…show more content… (Doyle 147) Doyle opens his essay wanting his readers to think about a hummingbird. From this point on, we know that his essay is going to be about more than just a hummingbird. As we read, we find facts about hearts, whales, chambers in the heart and so much more. Doyle focuses on the heart for a portion of his essay. He talks about what its job it, how it functions, and how it can be hurt or broken from things like heart attacks. But as a reader, who has read “Joyas Voladoras” it is easy to consider that Doyle is using the heart as a metaphor. “So much held in a heart in a lifetime. So much held in a heart in a day”. (Doyle 148) Doyle could be talking about the actual things that are held in a heart; all the liquids, and blood. “No living being is without interior liquid motion. We all churn inside”. (Doyle 148) At some level, every living being has one thing in common; a heart that moves liquid around. But we could all be the same because we hold emotions in our hearts as…show more content… It is complicated for the fact that a heart is a muscle, it has one primary job; to keep us alive. Like a hummingbird we must breath to take in oxygen. We must keep our hearts going or the saddest fate will happen; we will no longer exist. But his metaphor is also complicated because a heart is more than a muscle; it holds feelings. Doyle gives an example, “You can brick up your heart as stout and tight and hard and cold and impregnable as you possibly can and down it comes in an instant”. (Doyle 148) Doyle is dealing with the emotional side when he says this. You can make your heart unavailable for anybody, and make it cold as to let nothing in; but as soon as one happy memory or person comes by, your guard goes
