Not Everything Changes

This short story, written by E. B. White, takes place around the 1940s. The time period of "Once More to the Lake" is curtail because the story itself revolves around the the idea of time changing. The main character appears to be obsessed with time and how he and his surroundings age. The two particular time periods that haut his mind are the past before technology and present where technology is a major influence.
In the story he is a father with a son going to an old camping spot where his father used to take him. He describes how the lake is primal and has not aged while he has. In the story whenever his son does something he has a sense of deja-vu and remembers doing or saying that as a child. These flashes of memories remind White of his youth and how he is still in a sense young. As a child White went to the camp when cars were not invented and the horse drawn carriages created three lanes. During his stay with his son he walks along the same road and describes how the it used to have three lanes and not two.  Now with the advancement of technology cars exist and make two grooves in the dirt road, not three. Once again technology troubles White. The advancement in technology has lead to outboard engines which cause a of noise. The old two or three-cylinder engines on the boats were quite and only made a soft humming sound. This new sound ruins White's view of the quiet lake and the lake becomes less wild. Every where White looks he sees some type of technology or something that reminds him that he is old and that time continues to age him. Towards the end of the essay White makes a reference to his impending death when he describe a deathly chill in his groin. White does not mean he is dying; instead he means that his power to create life is dying and soon it will be his son's turn to have a child.

Freedom in Death

            In the story, “The Story of An Hour”, the main character suffers from a heart disease. This heart problem is rather ironic because like her heart she is constricted and her sole purpose is to beat for someone else. Her heart problem worsens when she hears that her husband has died. Although most people would become depressed when they hear their spouse has died she did not. Mrs. Mallard was ecstatic. She could now live her life freely and most importantly she was free from her husband. He no longer had any control over her life and she no longer had to live for him.

            The limited setting of the story expresses the theme of a struggle for freedom. In this story the setting consists of a room, a staircase, and a front door. None of these places offer a vast space and freedom. They are all limited and confined places. This idea of the setting being finite reflects Mrs. Mallard’s need from freedom. She is trapped in this small area and cannot get out. Figuratively speaking she is trapped in a place where her husband rules and she cannot escape his rule. He is like a cage stopping her from escaping.  Her desperation of freedom leads to her ultimate escape, death.  

What Am I?

This object doubles as a barrier between winning and losing. It is also a place where cheers of excitement or groans of defeat are heard. This object rests on a soft, viridescent surface that is home to many. A white mesh stretches and clothes this object. This object has a solid base but does not have an actual solid form.  This object also has no actual shape, it could be considered a rectangle or a triangle depending on what angle you view it from.   

A Good Reader and Writer

A good reader cannot be simply defined by their fluency and level of comprehension. Saying a good reader is defined by their fluency and comprehension is like saying two blades of grass create a field. There are many blades of grass that create the field of a good reader. The other blades of grass in this field are the emphasis on words and the emotions that your voice carries. The dark blades are the active readers, the ones who thrive. An active reader is someone who questions the author or text, looks up the definitions of words they do not know, and is a person who relates the writing to something in their life.

A good writer cannot be simply defined by how intriguing their story is or by how complex their vocabulary is. Saying a good writer is defined by how fascinating their tale is or by how advanced their vocabulary is like saying two grains of sand makes a beach. The beach of a good writer requires many grains of sand. The smaller grains of sand are grammar and spelling, they aren’t very import but the still contribute to the beach. Other grains are a good climax and exposition, the message the story portrays, the tone of the story or its characters, and also the organization of the story.

Both a good reader and a good writer require many qualities. The best writer is a good reader and the best reader is a good writer.