A Critique of Once More to the Lake Essay

A critique of Once More to the Lake, E. B. White, text. The main idea is that many people reflect on their past lives and experiences when their past mirror their children present. The author achieves his purpose through structure, emotion, and language. First, The Structure the author written in the paragraphs are mixed to keep the reader’s attention. White transitions from event to event this keeps the reader guessing on what will happen next, confusing the reader between past and present.

“ I was always the first up…dress softly…sneak out…and start out…canoe”. (White 299) The author transitions for himself to his son. “the first morning…hearing the boy sneak…out…go off…in a boat’ (White 299). This structure works because it keeps the reader tied in with the character, shifting from one point of to another.

The emotion of the author’s words draws one to connect with the characters in the way is similar to the average reader’s relationship with their own family.

“I would be saying something…suddenly it would not be I but my father…saying” (White 300). Anyone who has a younger sibling or relative will almost certainly experience this moment. This moment is often referred as De’ja’vu, A moment that one has already seen or heard something before. The choice of words is a perfect example for the readers to reflect on the own past experience. White’s language gives the reader a vision outside the paper, which it is read on. “how the bedroom smelled…lumber it was made of…the wet woods whose scent entered…the screen” (White 299). White language allows the reader to envision the texture the wood activating the human’s natural senses.

The language evokes the natural senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling. The reader’s mind artificially allows him or her visually place themselves in the bedroom, smelling the scent of the wood, and feeling the wind that blows the scent into the room. The language is effective because of the way it awakens the spirit of the reader, when the words opens the soul to relate to the author’s views. They stared silently at the tip of their rods (White 300). The reader’s hearing suddenly deadens when the line is being read. The reader can smell and one can almost taste the fresh water, as White inhales in the scent through his nose…underneath the rowboat (White 300). One can hear the dragonflies resting on their rods (White 300).

White successfully demonstrates all three criterions: Structure, Emotion, and Language. The structure, emotion, and the language used demonstrates that many people’s past memories, past experiences, past lives, resemble some of moments in the present. Therefore, sometimes their memories reflect and mirror their children’s present. The author provides plenty of evidence to support the main idea.