Once More to the Lake E.B. White

1.      White’s story was a strong narrative essay because he relayed the story of some of his life experiences that had so much effect on him while growing up as a child as well as an adult. For instance, his quote “We returned summer after summer……. I have since become a salt-water man”, corroborates that the events were so wonderful that they looked forward to it year after year. Another interesting thing about his story is how it is told in a first-person tone, which makes it appear sincere and personal.  Not only does this make his story appear genuine, it also makes it easier for readers to connect with it. The story is told in a memorable and reflective ways. White compared the present state of the Lake to the past and found out that not much had changed over the years – only the sound of outboard motors which was not the case when he used to visit with his father. When he could not resist the urge, he took his son to the same lake just as his father used to do.

2.      The element of the narration mode that work the most effectively in this story is the signal that White used to tell his personal experience and memory of his childhood. The elements of first-person narrative were effectively used by White in Once More to the Lake. He is the narrator as well as the main character in the story. He passed to the readers the feelings and thought he had as a result of his visits to the lake. He is the one whose action, judgement and opinion were expressed in the story. What the readers know about the Lake in Maine depends only on White’s point of view and experiences at the Lake.

3.      “I took along my son…. On the journey over to the lake I began to wonder… I wondered how time would have… I was sure that the tarred…. I guess I remembered…” In the second paragraph as well as other paragraphs, he repeated use of “I” strongly shows that the essay is a first-person narrative. “One afternoon while we were there at the lake a thunderstorm came up. It was like the revival of an old melodrama that I had seen long ago with childish awe”. Though other campers were there, only how White felt about the thunderstorm was described. The opinions of others were not sought.  Readers are only able to understand the context of the essay based on the extent it was describe it.