The Old Stone House by Edmund Wilson

In 1933, while the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression devastated America, Edmund Wilson wrote The Old Stone House. Wilson graduated from Princeton University in 1916. After receiving his diploma, he worked as a reporter for the New York Sun, managing editor of Vanity Fair, associate editor of The New Republic, and more. His essay The Old Stone House describes the building in which his ancestors lived, and the place his family visited every year. The author provides readers with the appearance of the house, an inventory of the items within the building, and a short history on the past inhabitants of the home and the town. Wilson’s target audience would be adults, due to the higher-level vocabulary and the frequent allusions to books, events, and people of the time period. Whilst reading this essay, the audience is awed by Wilson’s love for the old house. The imagery and description of his memories is meant to intrigue and entertain the audience, and reminds readers of the importance of family. In my opinion, Edmund Wilson accomplished his purpose in his essay because his nostalgic tone and descriptive writing caused me to think back on the adventures that I had as a kid, the stories of my family members, and the antiques found in the homes of my elders. For example, when Wilson names the objects in the house “that are nowadays sold in antique stores” (Wilson 122), I was reminded of the random items that I used to come across in my grandmother’s house, each paired with a story. Part of Edmund Wilson’s purpose was to do just that: make his readers connect their own lives to the story, and remember the constant presence of family in everyone’s lives. In order to achieve his purpose, Wilson uses repetition frequently in order to display how he reminisces often, and will never forget the house. Also, Wilson alludes to books, such as The Woman Who Did and History of Lewis County, and quotes them, building to his ethos and making it easier for the audience to relate to his story.

The Uniqueness of Homes

This is a picture of Gru’s house from Despicable Me (This specific image is from http://despicableme.wikia.com/wiki/Gru's_House). Edmund Wilson describes his family’s home in The Old Stone House; however, all houses are unique. The combination of The Old Stone House and Gru’s house could cause readers to share what makes their own homes special, or, perhaps, what each of the buildings have in common.