February 20

“Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain”

Think about the subjects of these two essays. Compare them. Name and describe three similarities between the. Write a response that names these similarities (think about tone, audience, purpose, etc.) and include examples that support your finding.

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Posted February 20, 2017 by tashak38 in category Uncategorized

About the Author

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area--Big Up to the East Bay

18 thoughts on ““Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain”

  1. Anonymous

    Great job, Edwin. I appreciate your thoroughness. I would love for you to revise this for extra words. Which words can you eliminate and still maintain your ideas? See me.

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  2. Jane Ngay

    In “Once More to the Lake,” by E.B. White, a father introduces his son to a childhood summer getaway, where he returned year after year. He reminisces all the good times he had there when he was a child, remembering and reliving all of the moments spent at the camp. While in “The Way to the Rainy Mountain,” Momaday shares his collective background story of the Kiowa tribe. His grandmother was one of the last few to witness the tribe while it still thrived. A sense of sadness overshadowed the two subjects, as Momaday terribly missed his grandmother. The once lively house of his grandmother was now filled with “funeral silence in the rooms, the endless wake of some final word,” (Momaday).
    The two short readings share a graphic and realistic depiction of the scenery, through various sensory details, from “how the bedroom smelled of lumber,” in the mornings to to the “cool and motionless lakes,” (White). Momaday describes the harsh weather conditions of the Rocky Mountains, “winter brings blizzards, hot tornadic winds arise in the spring, and in the summer the prairie is an anvil’s edge.” The readers are brought into the story, easily connecting with the scenery.
    Also, a branch of their targeted audience may be people who are so caught up in their everyday stressful lives, who are too busy and forget to give their parents or grandparents a call once in awhile. The protagonists of these stories strive to remind these people of their very own special place, their fond childhood memories, to reconnect with their own culture before it too, is forgotten.

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  3. Shabana Rahman

    In the essays “Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” both authors use a very engaging writing style to capture the attention of the reader. In both essays, the authors use landmarks as reference points for the exploration of past. The landmark in each essay has a personal significance for each author. The lake in “Once More to the Lake” takes the author E. B White back in time to summer vacation escapes with his father. In “The Way to Rainy Mountain” N. Scott Momaday returns to his grandmother’s house and a landmark known as the Rainy Mountain located in an area of Oklahoma that is significant to his family’s history and the history of Kiowa people. The essays are also similar in that they both explore the passage of time and the changes, or lack there off, it brings. Upon his return E. B White to the lake, E. B White notices that the physical lake has not changed. However, there changes in things that are separate from the lake the noisier engines of the new boats. In this essay I also see the passage of a tradition or experience as a consequence of time. What E.B. White experienced with his father is now getting passed on to his son. After settling into their camp and reflecting on the past Mr. White states “I began to sustain the illusion that he (the son) was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father.” Sadly the passage of time has not been as kind to Mr. Momaday’s family and ancestors. The passage of time saw freedom taken away from the Kiowa, the loss of culture and tradition.

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  4. Michelle Harker-Davis

    Both authors shared their fond childhood memories of loved ones. The memories of their father and grandmother was especially endearing to them.
    E.B. White wrote about the ritual his family had every summer he spent at the lake in Maine as a young boy, and returning later in his life as an adult, with his young son. He describes in depth the lakes clarity,the coves stream, the hills and sunsets. White talks about the transition over the years when he returned as an adult.
    When he was younger he “kept remembering that those times and summers had been infinitely precious and worth saving. There had been a jollity, peace and goodness”. As an adult he quoted “the only thing that is wrong now, was the sound of the place, an unfamiliar nervous sound of the outboard motors”. The authors tone was of fondness. His dejavu was”hearing the boy sneak quietly out and go off along the shore in a boat. I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father. The experience made him fee like he was living two lives.

    N. Scott Momaday contrast wrote about the beautiful plains of Oklahoma. The times he spent there as a child with his grandmother . He describes her younger years, the warfare of the Kiowas, and their imprisonment. “My grandmother was spared the humiliation of those high gray walls by eight or ten years, but she must have known from birth the affliction, the dark brooding of old warriors”. Even though his grandmother was not imprisoned in the old stone corral. Her spirit still felt imprisoned through the pain and suffering of her ancestors.
    He remembered fondly “once there was a lot of sound in y grandmothers house, a lot of coming and going, feasting and talk. the summers were full of excitement and reunion”. Momaday remembered hoe the elder Kiowas dressed somewhat tribal in their “great black hats and winding their braids with strips of colored clothes”.His tone seems one of a smile while reminiscing about the prayer meetings, late night feasts while playing with his cousins. Surprise, enjoyment, and spending quite time with his grandmother, listening to the frogs by the river.

    Each author in their own respect seemed to have a great love and held onto to the memories that seemed to have brought joy to them.

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    1. Tasha K

      Awesome analysis, Michelle. I love your smooth integration of quotes from the text. Come see me during class tomorrow. I’d like to point something out to you.

      Reply
  5. Brian S

    The subject in “Once More to the Lake” by E. B. White is he recalls nostalgia whenever he travels back to the lake in Maine every August. His father brought him to the lake every year and its his turn to bring his son to the lake. He talks about the environment doesn’t change much and it is as beautiful as ever even though there are little changes such as the path to the farm and the sound of the board motors. “The only thing that was wrong now, really, was the sound of the place, an unfamiliar nervous sound of the outboard motors” (10). Even though White notices that he is changing through time, he still experiences being a kid remembering those experiences and as an father who fathers his son who shares those experiences with him. The subject in “The Way to Rainy Mountain” is that her author touches with her grandma’s past experiance as a Kiowan indian.”She could tell of the Crows, whom she had never seen, and of the Black Hills, where she had never been.” (5). The tone of both of the stories is that both authors are nostalgic. White recalls his past and how almost nothing has changed except for his age. “As he buckled the swollen belt suddenly my groin felt the chill of death.” (13). This means that as he is getting older he’ll soon meet death even though the environment around him hasn’t changed. Momaday mentions that her grandmother would make a prayer at the side of the bed in her native Kiowan language. “She made long, rambling prayers out of suffering and hope, having seen many things.” (13). The audience of both authors are universal. The main audience White connects with are people that are growing up and have kids in their footsteps. “I took along my son … who had seen lily pads only from train windows.” (2). An aging author shows his son the lake and he follows his footsteps. The main audience Momaday connects with are people who cherished their culture. “They acquired Tai-me, the sacred Sun Dance doll, from that moment the object and symbol of their worship, and so shared in the divinity of the sun.” (4) This was the religon aquired from the Plains. The purpose of both stories is to show us to cherish family values and time. White recalls the past and I can imagine him sighing when he’s talking about his past. “It seemed to me, as I kept remembering all this, that those times and those summers had been infinitely precious and worth saying.” (9). Momaday connects with the values her grandmother’s society witheld. “When I was a child I played with my cousins outside, where thelamplight fell upon the ground and the singing of the old people rose up around us and carried away into the darkness. There were alot of good things to eat, a lot of laughter and surprise.” (15). Unfortunately, the Kiowan indians surrendered to the U.S. Calvary and it forced themselves to starve to death.

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  6. jiaheng fang

    Both essay shared the similarities of childhood memories, memory of their loved one, and sensory details. In the essay “Once More to the Lake” White took his son to a lake, where he used to visit as a child, throughout this trip, White had a dual existence as he remember he father used to take him here, as he stated “This sensation persisted, kept cropping up all the time we were there. It was
    not an entirely new feeling, but in this setting it grew much stronger. I seemed to be living a dual existence.” by looking at his son, it triggered the illusion from his memory, that his son become him, and White become his father, and how everything are still the same after years. In the essay ” The Way to Rainy Mountain” Momaday returned to the rainy mountain, where her grandma has past away. By observing the surrounding, Momaday remember the stories of the Kiowas tribe that his grandma used to tell him, as he stated “All things in the plain are isolate; there is no confusion of objects in the eye, but one hill or one
    tree or one man. To look upon that landscape in the early morning, with the sun at your back, is to lose the sense of proportion. Your imagination comes to life, and this, you think, is where Creation was begun”. Momaday explained how the imagination is the creation of their stories.
    The second similarity In both essay is the memory of their loved one, this subject was indicated throughout the stories, As white remember the time spent with his dad in “Once more to the Lake”, and Momaday explained the stories he heard from his grandma about his tribe.
    Last similarity is sensory detail. Both essay, have rich imagery that bring the reader into the stories, and help the reader understand with their point of view.

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  7. Jenella

    In the essay “Once More to The Lake” by author E.B White. E.B recalls the vacation trips back to the place where he had spent summer vacations with his father, and all the memories from his childhood by showing the role of people changed, the invariable nature of place, and the elapsed passage of time, same as “The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott. The death of Momaday’s grandmother brings him back to the rainy mountain. Which they both have lost their loved ones and scott describes “Now that I can have her only in memory, I see my grandmother in the several postures that were peculiar to her.” shows how much he miss his grandmother by memory and how the life rotate by time passing through but the world stays the same as always. On the other side they both express an emotional of missing and a tone of grief for their loved ones who they can no longer talking to and walk with. And their audience is also their family, as E.B described “I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father.” It shows how much he missed his father and he even imagine himself as his father’s role at every places they used to walked by and things they experienced with each other.

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  8. serge bustillos

    In these essays “Once More to The Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” both authors E.B White, N. Scott Momaday have experienced a loss for a loved one. These two short essays are very similar because, both authors reminisce about past events that they shared with someone who they cared for a lot who is no longer with them. Both authors have small but significant experiences that paints a clear picture for us readers to visualize and walk through their feeling with them. I believe these authors are trying to say that you should cherish every moment in life because people change, people get old, and people die however, those memories that you have will forever stay but at the same time things can’t and won’t ever be the same.

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  9. Abraham Barroso

    In both of the essays, they wrote about their memories of people important to them to their lives. Both authors had lost someone special to them that they can no longer get advice, hug, to talk and to spend time with them. In K.B White’s essay he speaks about how his father took him to the same lake where his father took him as a kid, but now when he went with his son to the lake, he looked into his son’s eyes and saw himself spending the day at the lake exactly when he was younger spending time with his father. By reliving this moment with his he knew that his father still lives on within himself and his son. On N.Scott essay he talks about he lost his grandmother; “Now I can only have memories of her” it implies that he really misses her within the bottom his heart and his tone sounds melancholy and full of sadness and he reminisces his past of his grandmother. The message that the author wanted to give us that remembering your loved ones who have can always bring you good memories with them, and your love ones will alway live in your dreams, thoughts and most of all in your heart.

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  10. Victor M. Nunez

    “once More to the Lake” an essay by E. B. White and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” an essay by N. Scott Momaday describes how both author’s relived childhood memories through the lens of their love ones. White’s revisits his favorite place when growing up during the summer times-with his son. “I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore…my father”(Kirszner,192). The author makes a comparison of himself as a younger child and that of his son as he observes him interact on the lake similar to when he was a child. Momaday takes us through her grandmas life history; from her birth place to the fall of her native tribe and her final resting place. “…and she never forgot her birthright. As a child she had been to the sun dances; she had taken part in those annual rites”(2). This demonstrates that the author’s grandmother had pride from where she had come from and goes on to prove that there was a unique bond between both of them. Both author remember with pleasure montage of their love ones[or then self] through a variety of emotions.

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  11. Adela Sanchez

    The similarities found in both essays are that of losing a loved one and the sense of being stuck living with the memories and not being able to talk again or give the affection or spread their feelings to them. K.B White speaks about his son bringing the memories back of the time he was with his father on that same lake. After so many year nothing really change. the enviroment remained the same. He also felt as if he was looking through his fathers eye and his son as himself. On the other hand N. Scott he is sad that his grandmother is not their with him anymore. And expresses that ” Now I can only have her in my memories” type of emotion. The tune in this passages are of grief and a sense of alleviation and comfort disclosing such personal thoughts.

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  12. Zak C.

    First off both essays share an appreciation for the outdoors and the simple ageless essence they experience in the places they visit. Second, they are both visiting and reminiscing the past and experiences they have encountered. Third they are both reflecting on family and special times in there life.
    In the essay “Once more to the lake” the father is taking his son to a beautiful lake he used to visit as a child. He states, “You remember one thing, and that suddenly reminds you of another thing. I guess I remembered clearest of all the early mornings, when the lake was cool and motionless, remembered how the bedroom smelled of the lumber it was made of and of the wet woods whose scent entered through the screen.” reminiscing of the time he spent there as a child later telling us how time had not changed that. In the essay “The way to Rainy Mountain” the author tells us of the beautiful country where his grandmother lived and wrote, “Yellowstone, it seemed to me, was the top of the world, a region of deep lakes and dark timber, canyons and waterfalls. But, beautiful as it is, one might have the sense of confinement there. The skyline in all directions is close at hand, the high wall of the woods and deep cleavages of shade. There is a perfect freedom in the mountains, but it belongs to the eagle and the elk, the badger and the bear.” explaining the beauty of the land.
    “It seemed to me, as I kept remembering all this, that those times and those summers had been infinitely precious and worth saving.” Remembers the father of the times he had in the past with his family at the lake. “Now that I can have her only in memory, I see my grandmother in the several postures that were peculiar to her: standing at the wood stove on a winter morning and turning meat in a great iron skillet; sitting at the south window, bent above her beadwork, and afterwards, when her vision failed, looking down for a long time into the fold of her hands; going out upon a cane, very slowly as she did when the weight of age came upon her; praying.” This is an example of the man remembering his grandmother in “The Way to Rainy Mountain.”
    “The whole thing was so familiar, the first feeling of oppression and heat and a general air around camp of not wanting to go very far away.” The father in “Once More to the Lake” recalls the great times he had at the lake as a child. “When I was a child I played with my cousins outside, where the lamplight fell upon the ground and the singing of the old people rose up around us and carried away into the darkness. There were a lot of good things to eat, a lot of laughter and surprise. And afterwards, when the quiet returned, I lay down with my grandmother and could hear the frogs away by the river and feel the motion of the air.” This is showing the author thinking back to the great memories back when he would be staying with his grandmother.

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  13. omar mehrzai

    Once More to The Lake/The Way to Rainy Mountain
    Omar Mehrzai
    K.B White and N. Scott in “Once more to the Lake/The way to Rainy Mountain” Both have similar type of unfortunate events in the loss of their loved one, they relate in losing his father and the other his grandmother. Through a series of moments they seem to come to a connection or a flashback about the time they spent with them… In K.B. White he talks about the time he took his son to the same lake he went with his father when he was that age, being their and looking at the serene scenery and his son standing their he felt like his father and seen as if he was looking through his fathers eyes. The feeling he got was as if it was yesturday he just seen him, As if he really never left. For N. Scott reminisces about his grandmother when she was still alive. He believes that she is still him memories, and reminds him of her in several postures that where peculiars to hers. Both authors are as if they were living through their loved ones life. The attitude it brings in a series of emotional and tone of grief and a sense of a sadness and joy of memories. Like nothing was lost.

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    1. Anonymous

      Great start and insightful analysis, Omar. Please check in with me for formatting questions I have for you.

      Reply
  14. Edwin C.

    In the two essays “Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” they both illustrate many similarities that they have in common. First, they both approaches a main purpose of the essays is how time brings back memories with their loved ones. ” This sensation persisted, kept cropping up all the time we were there. It was not an entirely new feeling, but in this setting it grew much stronger.” This quote illustrates that although it’s been a long time since E.B. White went to the lake with his dad being with his son reminds him of being with his dad with every moment still being same plus his surroundings and environment are still the exact as the last time he was there. The second similarity that these essays have is that it both has fathers and families as their audience. “I knew it, lying in bed the first morning, smelling the bedroom, and hearing the boy sneak quietly out and go off along the shore in a boat. I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father.” The interpretation of this quote is that the position is switched with him being his father showing that anyone could relate to this easily if they went to a place or journey that bought back memories of a loved one. Last but not the least similarity that “Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” both portrays an emotional and a tone of grief. In the first essay E.B. White reminisces times with his dad while on the other hand N. Scott reminisces on his grandmother when she was alive. “Now that I can have her only in memory, I see my grandmother in the several postures that were peculiar to her.” This portrays that both authors are living through their loved one’s moments where anyone could be in that position and understand.In the two essays “Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” they both illustrate many similarities that they have in common. First, they both approaches a main purpose of the essays is how time brings back memories with their loved ones. ” This sensation persisted, kept cropping up all the time we were there. It was not an entirely new feeling, but in this setting it grew much stronger.” This quote illustrates that although it’s been a long time since E.B. White went to the lake with his dad being with his son reminds him of being with his dad with every moment still being same plus his surroundings and environment are still the exact as the last time he was there. The second similarity that these essays have is that it both has fathers and families as their audience. “I knew it, lying in bed the first morning, smelling the bedroom, and hearing the boy sneak quietly out and go off along the shore in a boat. I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father.” The interpretation of this quote is that the position is switched with him being his father showing that anyone could relate to this easily if they went to a place or journey that bought back memories of a loved one. Last but not the least similarity that “Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” both portrays an emotional and a tone of grief. In the first essay E.B. White reminisces times with his dad while on the other hand N. Scott reminisces on his grandmother when she was alive. “Now that I can have her only in memory, I see my grandmother in the several postures that were peculiar to her.” This portrays that both authors are living through their loved one’s moments where anyone could be in that position and understand.In the two essays “Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” they both illustrate many similarities that they have in common. First, they both approaches a main purpose of the essays is how time brings back memories with their loved ones. ” This sensation persisted, kept cropping up all the time we were there. It was not an entirely new feeling, but in this setting it grew much stronger.” This quote illustrates that although it’s been a long time since E.B. White went to the lake with his dad being with his son reminds him of being with his dad with every moment still being same plus his surroundings and environment are still the exact as the last time he was there. The second similarity that these essays have is that it both has fathers and families as their audience. “I knew it, lying in bed the first morning, smelling the bedroom, and hearing the boy sneak quietly out and go off along the shore in a boat. I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father.” The interpretation of this quote is that the position is switched with him being his father showing that anyone could relate to this easily if they went to a place or journey that bought back memories of a loved one. Last but not the least similarity that “Once More to the Lake” and “The Way to Rainy Mountain” both portrays an emotional and a tone of grief. In the first essay E.B. White reminisces times with his dad while on the other hand N. Scott reminisces on his grandmother when she was alive. “Now that I can have her only in memory, I see my grandmother in the several postures that were peculiar to her.” This portrays that both authors are living through their loved one’s moments where anyone could be in that position and understand.

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