Answer: Annie Dillard’s thesis is “If survival is an art, then mangroves are artists of the beautiful: not only that they exist at all, but they can & do exist as floating islands, as trees upright & loose, alive & homeless on water”
Ideas that support it:
1. It is these shoreline trees which, by a fairly common accident, can become floating islands.
2. Nor can a tree live without soil. A hurricane-born mangrove island may bring its own soil to the sea.
3. The people called these river islands the dancers, “because, in any consort of musicians singing, they stir and move at the stroke of the feet, keeping time and measure.
Explanation:
Annie Dillard's essay uses poetic-like expressions to convey the target message. A "thesis" is a summary of the main idea the essay is going to be discussed, generally at the end of the first paragraph. In this case, her thesis being “If survival is an art, then mangroves are artists of the beautiful: not only that they exist at all, but they can & do exist as floating islands, as trees upright & loose, alive & homeless on water”.
In her words, she compares mangroves and their ability to survive several conditions, to humans having to face various challenges, and, whether we feel upright, loose, alive, or homeless, we can keep on carrying on and survive as well.
