Reflection on E. B. White’s Story
I believe this story has two sides. One side is about a father bringing his son to the same lake he used to visit with his family for summer vacations. He wants to show his son the things he used to do as a kid and tries to adapt to the changes that have happened over time.
The other side of the story is what I call the father's dual existence syndrome. I call it a syndrome because it behaves like one; it appears from time to time and gets triggered by certain moments or details. All his memories of the lake from his childhood resurface as he now returns as an adult with his own son. He often feels like his father, and he sees himself in his son. Every move his son makes reminds him of his own childhood. More than that, he feels like he exists inside his son.
I think the best line that describes this syndrome is: "I didn’t know which rod I was at the end of." This line really captures the father's internal confusion and emotional merging of past and present.
Also, the father doesn’t seem entirely happy throughout the story. He is disturbed by the new, noisy outboard motors and by the fact that there is more Coca-Cola than Moxie or root beer. He deeply misses his childhood days. Maybe this is what causes the dual existence. He wants to be the son again, not the father.
At the end, when his son puts on the cold, wet swimsuit, the father says he suddenly felt the chill of death. This shows again how he connects deeply with his son’s experience. But we can also interpret this moment differently: he feels the chill of death because he realizes the energy gap between himself and his son. He becomes aware that he is getting older.