"Once More to the Lake" by E.B. White (and other things)

Good morning everyone. A couple of reminders. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL!!!! And PLEASE CHECK THIS BLOG (and if you are reading this, thank you!!!!!!!!)

If you have not done this, please follow the link I posted a couple of days ago, and sign up for commonlit.org....there is a class code and everything. At last glance, only three of four of you have done it. Thanks to those who have!

For today's assignment, I would like you read this fantastic essay by E.B. White called "Once More to the Lake." E.B. White wrote WHAT other book?????? Remember??????????

(Charlottes Web!!!!)

E.B. White, at the time he wrote this, was living and working in NY city as an editor....and he hated it. Growing up, when he was a child, his family always rented a camp on GREAT POND in BELGRADE (very close to home!) He wrote this essay when he was all 'grown up,' as a memoir of a place he loved to go when things around him got 'too crazy' and he couldn't handle the city anymore. It was his ESCAPE. I feel like this essay speaks very well to what is going on in the world right now! I would imagine we all want to GET AWAY from the madness and just have some peace and joy and fellowship and solace and NATURE.  Please read the essay and consider the following:

1. What are at least THREE things that have changed about the 'camp' since he was a boy, and how have they changed?

2. Do you sense any "symbolism" in the essay? For example, does the school of fish or the road that goes into the camp or the thunderstorm "stand" for something else? (think outside the box!)

3. Describe how the essay CONCLUDES. Is it happy or sad? What do you make of the description of the boy at the end?

4. Are there any images or phrases that don't make sense? Do you UNDERSTAND the essay?

To dig a little deeper, consider this:

This essay is a piece of writing about a place that has CHANGED in the author's life. What is a place YOU can think of--in your own life--that has changed since you were younger? Your grandparent's house? McDonalds? Your camp? A playground? Etc!!!

Also,  if you were to leave Winslow/Waterville area for 30 years and then come back, what would you expect to find? What might look different? What would you be SAD to see gone?


SO. Take a read and think about any of these questions or ideas and post your answer in the comment thread...it doesn't have to be a lot...it would just be great to hear from you!

JG

ps: If you cannot click on the link successfully, let me know!

http://fd.valenciacollege.edu/file/jcarpen1/Week_3_EBWhiteLakeEssay.pdf