Satire In Walden

Thoreau’s book Walden was first published the decade before the Civil War. The Economy is the first chapter of the book wherein Thoreau attempts to rationalize why he chose to spend two years and two months living in a cabin, away from the hustle and bustle of modern society. All throughout the chapter readers can see that the writer is not able to rectify his own ideals from that of society’s. Rather than just being a commentary on his objections to that modern society, could Thoreau’s text also be an expression of his views on the democratic ideals that his nation was founded upon? If this were true then Walden easily becomes a political commentary rather than a sociology experiment. Thoreau exemplifies democratic ideals in his book Walden …show more content…
Thoreau writes, “Most men, even in this comparatively free country … it’s finer fruits cannot be plucked by them” (148). Thoreau’s idea of happiness seems more in line with the older notions of the word, far removed from the romantic notions of today. To him, the ideal rest on one’s ability to obtain things that they wanted such as land, freedom, wealth, etc. Anything that could be the desire of a person is their happiness and the economy chapter of Walden echoes these notions throughout. Perhaps the pursuit of happiness, more so than other ideals, is the most important value for a democratic society. Thoreau did not want to be lost in the worries of society concerning himself with things modern and alien to his own beliefs. “I delight to come to my bearings … not to live in this restless, nervous, bustling, trivial nineteenth century” (Thoreau 164). From the textual evidence, it is made clear that Thoreau felt out of place with his contemporaries who seemingly did not share his same values. It is also evident that his decisions where led and based around his own perception of democratic ideals. His entire premise for the text was based on his inability to cope with societies disregard for the pursuit of happiness in favor of a life were one cannot enjoy the happiness of what they have obtained instead seeking …show more content…
From a simple textual analysis, the reader can determine that, to him, ideals such as independence, truth, and the happiness were all factors in his decision to sojourn at Walden for the duration of two years. He used this experience to also motivate his fellow citizens to also pursue that same simplistic approach by displaying those ideals through his text. This common appreciation for the founding ideal and how they addressed social and political problems of his day such as slavery may indicate why his book was successful and timeless enough to join collegiate