Welty and White: Childhood Innocence Essay
2160 Words
Jun 25th, 2010
9 Pages
Welty and White: Childhood Innocence
The words and descriptions that an author uses are to provoke a response in the reader. They are not just telling a story but are trying to show the reader their vision. In this case it is the vision and remembrance of the past and how it shaped their perceptions of the world. Eudora Welty’s “The Little Store” is about the innocence and simplicity of childhood, which she shows by her description of the neighborhood she grew up in and the trips to the store she would make. E.B. White’s “Once More to the Lake” is a narrative about the peaceful simple times of a summer vacation at the lake that his family took every August. Welty’s “The Little Store” and White’s “Once more to the Lake” are both …show more content…
The words and descriptions that an author uses are to provoke a response in the reader. They are not just telling a story but are trying to show the reader their vision. In this case it is the vision and remembrance of the past and how it shaped their perceptions of the world. Eudora Welty’s “The Little Store” is about the innocence and simplicity of childhood, which she shows by her description of the neighborhood she grew up in and the trips to the store she would make. E.B. White’s “Once More to the Lake” is a narrative about the peaceful simple times of a summer vacation at the lake that his family took every August. Welty’s “The Little Store” and White’s “Once more to the Lake” are both …show more content…
The reader can almost see the lake, and smell the water as if they were there. The way the old wooden cabin looked and smelled; the feel of the breeze brought back many memories for him (164).
In Welty’s story, the Little Store plays a pivotal role. In this period, Jackson, Mississippi was small, almost rural, and you were able to have a cow in your backyard, which they did. It was very near the country. It was a time when people had milk and groceries delivered, when farmers would drive into town to sell their “plenty.” (155), this was truly a time of innocence. Welty does not remember her mother ever going into a grocery store. She recalls that her mother milked the cow herself and cooked all of the meals for her family. Her mother felt that she kept a well-stocked kitchen but occasionally she would run out of something, a lemon, or bread, and would send Welty or her brothers to the little store to get that item (155). A chance to go to the store was an event that they anticipated with much excitement. All their mother would have to say was; “Quick! Who’d like to run to the Little Store for me?”(155). Having the chance of a trip to the store was an opportunity for adventure. Welty and her brothers knew that when their mother counted out and gave them the change to buy what she needed that there would be money…
In Welty’s story, the Little Store plays a pivotal role. In this period, Jackson, Mississippi was small, almost rural, and you were able to have a cow in your backyard, which they did. It was very near the country. It was a time when people had milk and groceries delivered, when farmers would drive into town to sell their “plenty.” (155), this was truly a time of innocence. Welty does not remember her mother ever going into a grocery store. She recalls that her mother milked the cow herself and cooked all of the meals for her family. Her mother felt that she kept a well-stocked kitchen but occasionally she would run out of something, a lemon, or bread, and would send Welty or her brothers to the little store to get that item (155). A chance to go to the store was an event that they anticipated with much excitement. All their mother would have to say was; “Quick! Who’d like to run to the Little Store for me?”(155). Having the chance of a trip to the store was an opportunity for adventure. Welty and her brothers knew that when their mother counted out and gave them the change to buy what she needed that there would be money…