Close-reading Annie Dillard's Work

While Annie Dillard's work Writing From the Center held many interesting ideas and passages, one that seemingly sticks out is the text in which she makes reference to her husband and the cabin in which she has chosen to write. The passage is as follows:
"My husband wrote his book in ANOTHER CABIN; he worked much longer hours than I could. When my husband LEFT after breakfast, I looked around the ONE-ROOM cabin and OUT AT THE WATER and strip of beach. Nothing changed but the TIDES. Sometimes the EMPTY BEACH was wide, and sometimes it was narrow. I could see it all from the BED, even on the DARKEST NIGHTS. The BED FACED THE BEACH and the water, and so did the DESK; so did the TABLE, and so did the sink. The whole house was a SHIP'S RAIL. I TURNED TO THE WORK" (Dillard 9).

Reading this section of the text over and over, certain words pop out, and one may begin to visualize a serene, picturesque scenario. The image of a vacation-like atmosphere comes into play, yet it clashes with the writer's reaction. Instead of embracing the tranquility of such a calm, relaxing spot, Annie Dillard is preoccupied with the notion of work. She seems to look out on this scene as though it were not actually within her reach, almost as though it were merely some poster planted on her wall. Despite all this, she makes the choice to place all her furniture in the direction that faces the scenic view. Does this mean that she wishes to remain mentally unaffected by the beauty of the nature in front of her for the sake of her work? But that she struggles with her heart to truly reject the beauty before her? Does her soul find itself gravitating towards something outside that room and what it has in store for her?

More so, the mention (small as it may be) of her husband throws the reader off guard and introduces a fact that makes Dillard all the more interesting. Most people, when given the chance to live in a beachy cabin, would not make an effort to seperate themselves from their loved ones, especially a spouse. Such an opportuntity would delight most couples, for the chance to connect on a very personal level would likely be appealing. However, Dillard and her husband spend their days apart. This speaks volumes about the writer and what it means to be a dedicated writer. To sacrafice oneself in such a way suggests that the work is of the utmost importance. By revealing the existance of a spouse and the decision to remain apart so much of the time, coupled with the intentional rejection of the "beach life," Annie Dillard reveals that writing requires a certain sacrafice. More so, that that sacrafice is not an easy one, for their appears to be a subconscious reservation about this life style in Dillard's own life.