E.B. White "The Second Tree from the Corner"

             E.B. White, in "The Second Tree from the Corner," does an excellent job commentating on the craziness in all of us. Through the thoughts and internal realizations of Mr. Trexler, White suggests that every man struggles with a desire to reach an unattainable goal. Additionally, White touches on psychiatry and this system we have been led to believe is the key to all worries. The problem seems to be that this system doesn't acknowledge the worries that are connected to this unattainable goal. In a very short piece, White makes an incredible social commentary.
             White uses "the second tree from the corner" to represent perfection. This is what every man wants, and no man can have. As Mr. Trexler realizes this "inexpressible and unattainable" desire is also "...deep, formless, enduring, and impossible of fulfillment." It is this very fact that every man struggles with. The difference between Mr. Trexler and every other man is that he knows what the struggle is about. Perhaps this knowledge only brings more turmoil than the ignorance other men are blessed with.
             White also seems to be saying there are some worries that are normal and are not to be solved. Our society is quick to place labels; the psychiatry system in particular is always looking for a definitive solution. However, through the doctor, White showed every man is struggling with this universal struggle. Mr. Trexler further calls attention to the doctor's inadequacy when he thinks, "me paying fifteen bucks a throw for these séances and then doing the work myself, asking the questions, weighing the answers." Since the doctor didn't even realize the true struggle within himself, he wasn't able to help Mr. Trexler. Which is as it should be since Mr. Trexler's struggle, much like the doctor's, cannot be solved. Unlike the doctor, Mr. Trexler easily identifies wit
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E.B. White "The Second Tree from the Corner" . (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 02:20, May 16, 2025, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/61370.html