Compare And Contrast Once More To The Lake By E. B White

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Grievances of Life During the grievances of life, many deny their own mortality. Equivalent to what E.B. White and Samuel Clemens have gone through in both of the short stories. In “Once More to the Lake”, White describes a very descriptive, yet beautiful lake where he used to visit as a child. Throughout his times of visiting the lake, he realizes he is growing older and experiences the idea of reality setting in. In “Two Ways of Viewing the River”, Clemens describes a beautiful lake and how the view of something can change so drastically. He also goes through a similar process as White described, but in his own reality. The differences and similarities between White and Clemens are striking, as they both grow older viewing the grievances of life in their own way. Similarities, in both stories, are the acceptance of their own reality. While White describes a dual-existence of his dad and his son, he claims he “looked at [his son], who was silently watching his fly, and it was [Whites] hands that held that rod, [Whites] eyes watching”(28 …show more content…

Even though these two men share the same emotions, both stories are completely different. In “Once More to the Lake”, White goes back to an old campsite with his son. The same site his father took him to at that same age. They go fishing and have a great time at the beautiful lake in their cottage. During their trip to the lake, he realizes how much he misses being a child again. On the contrary, in “Two ways of Viewing the River” Clemens explains “the grace, the beauty, and the poetry”(55 Clemens) he sees. But after traveling up and down the river in a boat his views have reciprocated. He constantly sees signs, warning him of things that are going on around him now. Things such as a “tall dead tree, with a single living branch”(56 Clemens). These men have two different stories that have nothing to do with each other. Thus, that is how they are

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