Henry Thoreaus Where I Lived and What I Lived For and...

Henry Thoreaus Where I Lived and What I Lived For and E.B. Whites Once More to the Lake At first glance, Henry Thoreau’s, Where I Lived and What I Lived For, and E.B. White’s, Once More to the Lake, have nothing in common. After several readings; however, one can interpret that both authors have the same message. Even though Thoreau and White use extremely different styles, they both portray nature as the simplest way of life. Thoreau writes an argumentative essay in the 1800’s trying to persuade society to â€Å"simplify† by going back to relying on nature instead of technology (50 Essays pg. 417). White writes a 1900’s narrative about his visit to his childhood lake where he shockingly discovers how nature reveals the essence of life.†¦show more content†¦417). What Thoreau suggests is to rely on nature for food, education, entertainment, and all needs of a simplified human being. In Thoreau’s Where I Lived and What I Lived For, simplicity is his method of achieving self-sufficiency. Once More to the Lake tells the story of E.B. White’s journey back to his childhood lake in Maine. White compares the lake of his childhood to the lake of his adulthood. Everything was the same to White when he went with his son. â€Å"It was the arrival of this fly that convinced me beyond any doubt that everything was as it always had been, that the years were a mirage and that there had been no years,† (50 Essays pg. 446). The scenery of the lake brought peace and tranquility to White as he realized that he had become his father and his son had become him. White embraces nature at first, but towards the end he fears its mortality. â€Å"As he buckled the swollen belt, suddenly my groin felt the chill of death,† (50 Essays pg. 450). Once More to the Lake is satiated with description and figurative language. White uses heavy detail to capture the reader and get his point across. The natural setting of the lake revealed the essence of life to him. Once More to the Lake proves that Thoreau’s Where I Lived and What I Lived For is true in that putting aside humanity’s distractions and living in a natural setting, one can discover the secrets of life. Thoreau andShow MoreRelatedThe Differences Between Thoreau s And White s Writings855 Words   |  4 Pagesleast once in their life, it probably happened in college or in that one time in life where one asks themselves, â€Å" What am I doing?†. Similar problems had also happened to both writers Henry David Thoreau and E.B. White. Thoreau, in â€Å"Why I Went to the Woods† went and â€Å"lived in the woods† and he did this because he wanted to determine what was really important in life. White had an identity crisis due to his past memories and had the fear of losing himself into his son as described in â€Å"Once More