Style of writing in lines 1-14

Part of your essay should focus on the style of writing in lines 1-14 of Sam Anderson’s article “The Truth About Cocoons”. These lines are the beginning of the article, where Anderson discusses his recent interest in what happens to a caterpillar while it is inside a cocoon. 

The language Anderson uses is mostly informal and conversational, as it includes contractions (e.g. “they’re”), informal words and phrases, and incomplete sentences such as “Or cramped and dim?” (l. 12). 

Anderson generally uses a mix of short and medium-length sentences in these lines to share his ideas. He uses short sentences when he discusses simple ideas or factual information, such as: “Every child knows about cocoons. They’re one of the first things we learn about the natural world. What the ABCs are to language, ...