"The Future Is Now"

                                                                                            Everyday Counts 

Take control of today; don't wait. 

          “The Future Is Now", by Katherine Anne Porter, depicts the concept of facing life with a fighting attitude rather than waiting till the day where problems will sort themselves out. Porter talks about the moments where you realize that life is not some daydream; you have to know what you are fighting for. Her perspective on living can be compared to those of Western Europe and America, where “[generations] have been brought up in the belief, however tactic, that all humanity wad almost unanimously engaged in going forward, naturally to better thing and to higher reaches” (Porter 195). This quote connects directly to Porter’s purpose because it highlights her main message of moving forward. In this essay, many narratives are used as a strategy to spread her message, and connect with her audience. For example, Porter uses a story of an opinionated little girl who changes her perspective of the future. This not only makes the audience ponder their own outlooks on living life, but also creates a deeply rooted connection between author and reader. Porter is also able to establish her credibility with her audience, of teenagers, young adults, and anybody needing a push, through stories and life learning experiences. Along with the strategy of narratives, Porter also uses historical examples to get her purpose across. Towards the end, she talks about how the atom bomb was created to stop the chaotic back and forth fighting between Japan and the United States.  She argues, by bringing up her message of moving forward, that more people would’ve died with the continuous fighting than with the bomb. “I fail entirely to see why it is more criminal to kill a few thousand persons in one instant than it is to kill the same number slowly over a given stretch of time” (Porter 198). She uses this theme to connect her purpose, of informing readers to face life with a fighting attitude, with her strategies. With the use of connections and strategies, Porter’s essay highlights her purpose successfully and appropriately by the use of real world examples, narratives, and her opinions.

"Once More to the Lake"

                                          The Change

The son becomes the father and the transposition continues. 

       E.B. White, the known American author who won numerous medals, focused his essay, “Once More to the Lake”, on that one place that remains untouched while the rest of the world changes. The essay describes a father and son’s childhood on a lake that gets revisited by the now grown-up son and his young boy. White uses a feeling of nostalgia from his own childhood to set his credibility about the old haunts of his past. He uses the connection built between the past father and son to the present- day father and son to highlight this sensation of transforming from old to new. In the essay, the author writes, “I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father” (White 180). His readers, mainly anybody with a feel for nostalgic moments, are able to see their own life and situations through White’s perspective. Therefore, because of the strong presence of mood and imagery, the connection between author and character develops into a connection between author and reader. This transitional effect is White’s main purpose and strategy in sharing a piece of this quality. He wants to illustrate the changes that we, as humans, go through without realizing. We understand the changes that are clearly visible, but we struggle with recognizing the changes that are not as apparent. This is highlighted throughout the story by the significant use of reflection. White communicates his feelings through the thoughts of his character. For example, “This sensation persisted, kept cropping up all the time we were there. It was not an entirely new feeling, but in this setting it grew much stronger. I seemed to be living a dual existence” (White 180). This quote shows how the character was able to feel the change inside of him because of his childhood lake and all the familiar scenery. White’s strategies and use of connections, mood, imagery, and reflection make this work of writing an unforgettable, relatable piece that allows readers to experience a slice of his childhood.

"The Marginal World"

                                                                                                         The Real World 

The sea and the world: one in the same.

       "The Marginal World", written by Rachel Carson, compares the actions of the sea to the spectacle of life. She focuses on her thoughts gained from the experience of visiting "a world that keeps alive the sense of continuing creation and of the relentless drive of life" (Carson 215). While her credibility extends only as far as her visits to the sea, the essay covers her idea of the true beauty and connection to life found in the sea caves, burrows, and chitinous shells of lobsters. Rachel’s purpose in writing a comparison essay is to show the readers the different ways to view life. It is not just a wave of emotions, events, and people; it’s a “varied manifestation [where memories] appear, evolve, and sometimes die out” (Carson 219). She uses vivid imagery to symbolize the ocean to our everyday life. Rachel compares the wide ocean floor to the different times in our life. The flats took on a mysterious quality as dusk approached [where] sanderlings scurried across the beach like little ghosts and birds became only dark shadows, with no color discernible” (Carson 217). The sanderlings simile represents a time of disguise. As humans, we hide, run, and shield ourselves from pain, sorrow, truth, and sometimes, ourselves. The birds symbolize our desperation to not be found in our times of struggle; we blend in with the crowd making ourselves, as Carson said, of no color. Carson does a phenomenal job of illustrating emotion through her connections, imagery, and symbolism. This use of rhetorical devices makes her message understandable to, people of all ages who go through the roller-coaster of life, her audience. The essay flows beautifully as the author successfully makes her point, or purpose, clear to her audience members. Using strategies such as symbolism, comparisons, and imagery to set a serene mood makes this essay a relatable, intriguing piece.