Humans are set apart from animals and other organisms because they have the ability to think rationally and to question their existence here on earth. Humans are able to ponder the infinite beyond as well as what their lives strive for. Although there are no direct answers to the question of life, humans are able to get a sense of what this life is all about. In many of the works, the characters are unable to grasp what their purpose is- sometimes straying so far that their choices lead to their downfalls. In the tragic play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and two essays, “No Name Woman” by Maxine Hong Kingston and “Once More to the Lake” by E.B. White, the authors use rhetorical strategies and
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White, the author soon realizes his purpose while on vacation with his son. When the author was a child himself, his father took him on vacation much like he is taking his own son now. White sees himself in his his son and also sees himself in the place of his father. Now that he is in his father’s place, he realizes that he is closer to death. White uses many sensory details in his writing to illustrate his vacation spot at the lake and to show the passage of time. White realizes that he is not his son anymore; he is not young, vibrant, or as full of life anymore. Instead, he has found a new purpose: the purpose of being a father and taking the role and place as his father before him. He cannot do the same things as he once did. Much like the lake, his essence has stayed the same, but everything is different: his surroundings, the people he is with, everything. White understands now that change is inevitable, but he still struggles with how time has passed. White says that “It seemed to me, as I kept remembering all this, that those times and those summers had been infinitely precious and worth saving” (White 461). He is trying to remember life as it used to be, but he now has a new purpose to undertake. He must grow up and be the one to take care of his son because it is his son’s turn to be carefree and young. Even though this may be White’s individual purpose, this can be one for life as well. At sometime, everyone’s purpose will change because life changes over time. And one cannot expect to remain the same
White, the author soon realizes his purpose while on vacation with his son. When the author was a child himself, his father took him on vacation much like he is taking his own son now. White sees himself in his his son and also sees himself in the place of his father. Now that he is in his father’s place, he realizes that he is closer to death. White uses many sensory details in his writing to illustrate his vacation spot at the lake and to show the passage of time. White realizes that he is not his son anymore; he is not young, vibrant, or as full of life anymore. Instead, he has found a new purpose: the purpose of being a father and taking the role and place as his father before him. He cannot do the same things as he once did. Much like the lake, his essence has stayed the same, but everything is different: his surroundings, the people he is with, everything. White understands now that change is inevitable, but he still struggles with how time has passed. White says that “It seemed to me, as I kept remembering all this, that those times and those summers had been infinitely precious and worth saving” (White 461). He is trying to remember life as it used to be, but he now has a new purpose to undertake. He must grow up and be the one to take care of his son because it is his son’s turn to be carefree and young. Even though this may be White’s individual purpose, this can be one for life as well. At sometime, everyone’s purpose will change because life changes over time. And one cannot expect to remain the same