Summary Of Once More To The Lake By E. B White

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In E. B. White’s essay, “Once More to the Lake”, White revisits the lake his father always took him in the summer. Only this time White was the one taking his son. Upon arrival of the lake White is hit with an immense sense of nostalgia and is glad that nothing has changed. However White soon finds change within his childhood lake and finds them to be rather displeasing. Throughout the essay White continuously sees the lake and its surrounding through the eyes of his son, who he saw as himself, all while seeing himself as his father. White continues his vacation by repeatedly comparing his past to his present, content at the lack of change he experienced. However every now and then time would speed up for him and he would go back to reality, as White being the father, no longer the son. …show more content…

His son puts on some cold, wet shorts and White, seeing through his child’s eyes, feel the coldness as much more painful than he remembers. Meaning that White accepted that he is no longer a child, he has aged and become a man. White’s purpose for writing this essay is to give a very personal anecdote where he realized time goes on. White keeps on maintaining the illusion that he is still the boy who came to the lake with his father, meaning that he hasn’t accepted the natural flow of time. I believe that at the time White's father passed away, seeing as how he didn’t invite him. White is constantly seeing the lake through his son's eyes not only because he misses his father, but also to deny the fact that one day he will also end up like him. The theme of White’s essay is time fosters