The main theme in White’s Once more to the lake is dual existence that reflects the idea of the passage of time and the conflict between the past and the present. The concept of the theme is seen when White and his son go fishing at the same place he used to go with his father when he was young. At the same time, the words, “ memory ” and “dizzy” demonstrate the conflict between reflecting a person’s past life and the present life. In turn, White denies his own mortality and the fact that he is getting older while his son continues to age. White refuses to accept that he is now the father and not the son as he reflects his life through the life of his son. The dual experience is evident when White is faced with a difficult time of distinguishing himself from his son. The setting further triggers the identity crisis as the story moves in a manner that demonstrates how White weaves in and out of the mental process.
As the Lake’s setting preserved the memories of White’s adolescence, there were certain moments that forced him to acknowledge that time has indeed passed and that he is aging. The moments acted as interruptions to his nostalgia and his remembrance of the past. For instance, the interruptions surface when he compares how the boats from the past sounded compared to current past. Even though past memories brought in happy thoughts and feelings, he was still aware that all that was gone and that he had to snap back into reality and the battle the truths of the present. The conflict between the past and the present illustrates hesitation to battle the conflicts of the present.
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