Unit: 2 Once More to the Lake

Short Question Answers

Q1- Why does writer take a vacation at this particular lake?
Ans: The writer of this story is living in nostalgia which gives him strong feeling to
visit that lake in Maine again. This is the place where he used to go with his father
to spend his summer vacation in his boyhood for the month of August. He and his
family used to think that there was no place better than the lake in Maine. Now he
is getting same and strong feeling to revisit this place again with his son. This
place is very important for the writer as he has a lot of memories of this place
that’s why he wants to spend his vacation there with his son to recall the beautiful
moments of his life.
Q2- Which key concerns the writer has expressed in the text?
Ans: In the text, writer is going to a Lake in Maine to spend a week there with his
son in Summer time. His key concern, when he was going to the lake, was how the
time must have marred this beautiful place. He thought about his nostalgic
moments which he spent there and compared the past with the present. He found
that the lake was still the same and everything there was as beautiful as it had been
before. He wanted to spend the time with his son, fishing and enjoying together
and give his son the same beautiful time as he was given by his father in his
boyhood.
Q3- How has the lake changed since he was a boy?
Ans: The writer was a boy when he went first to the lake in Maine in 1904 and he
and his family thought there is no place in the world better than the lake in Maine.
When he visited this lake again with his son, he found it pretty much the same just
the sound of outdoors motors. The sound of outdoors motors was very irritating.
Even in night this sound kept humming in the ear. This sound made the writer
realize that the years were passing.
Q4- What contrast does the writer make between the sea and the lake?
Ans: The contrast that the writer establishes between the lake and the sea is that
the sea is never stagnant unlike lake which could left for hour, and would still be
found the same. The tides of the sea make it ferocious; however, the lake is a more
trustworthy water body according to the writer. The lake with its stable nature
makes it easy to observe its habitat with ease. The water of the lake is lesser dense
than that of the sea. Moreover, lake water is cleaner and feels fresher than sea
water.
Q5- Why is arriving at the lake less exciting now than in the past?
Ans: The writer is less excited about his arrival to the lake than he used to be,
because the transition of time has made him realize that his experience is merely
the reversal of roles. Thus, he is interacting with his son in a same manner that his
father used to do with him, and nothing seems new to him now. Therefore, the
mirage created by the passage of time has led to the writer’s realization of a weird
repetition of events.

Q6- How are the boat motors different in the present situation?
Ans. The inboard motors, used in the past were one or two cylindered which would
make purr sound that according to the writer, was the ingredient of summer sleep.
But, motors used in the present days are outboard and make irritable sound, which
makes the environment discomforting for a person.
Q7- What kind of sensation persisted and grew in the mind of the writer?
Ans. The writer was overwhelmed by the nostalgia by the recreation of memories
of his childhood. He was in an awe of how every action of his represented him as
his father. This sensation has brought a sense of timelessness of nature in author’s
mind. Just like the environment of the lake, he was fond of visiting, his life has
also portrayed preservation and showcased him as a part of nature which doesn’t
change unless and until it has been brought about by external change.
Q8- What is the central idea of the text?
Ans. The writer is emphasizing on a point that the nature preserves itself no matter
what. The things that can change the outlook of nature and behavior of a man are
materialistic i.e. the inventions and innovations. The way a lake is stagnant, the life
of a man is also stationary as a person might grow old and assume responsibility
but would always be an striking image of his or her elders. So, the roles might
reverse but the life would stay the same.