Book of Concord

In Ian Frazier’s essay “In Praise of Margins,” he sees marginal places and activates valuable. The very word marginal to Ian Frazier has a simple meaning of a “negative tinge” (Frazier) where it is defined as actions and decisions that are non-goal oriented, or without purpose. In Frazier’s Own life, a marginal activity and a place for him and his friends were out in the woods as it was there “part-time address, destination, purpose, and excuse” (Frazier). However, growing up Frazier and his…

As a result of the fast changing world, people are losing sight of the simplicity of life. People in modern society concern themselves too much with gaining wealth and spending free time on technology. This could be a threat to a person’s ability to fully appreciate nature and to see their self worth. Henry David Thoreau, poet and writer, lived in the wilderness away from distractions to experience self discovery. Through this time, he discovered the importance of not allowing a modern society…

travels north america seeking the wonders of nature, to many Chris could be considered a Transcedendalist. Ralph Emerson is an american transcendentalist who wrote the book self reliance. In the story Into The Wild Chris Mccandless values the idea of providing for yourself, similarly Ralph Emerson values the idea of self reliance. In the book Into the Wild Chris decides to change his life, he begins to live his life like a transcendentalist. One of the biggest concepts of transcendentalism is…

Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare is mainly about the search for true identity. Paul believes that people should do whatever they want to do in life, disregarding if what people claim is true or false. Paul wants them to forget their past and have new experiences. Which is why Paul goes to many people in order to help them reveal their true identity. For example, Paul wants to help Flan find his true identity but he just ignores him. Causing Flan to stay the same. Paul causes Rick to…

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…

The premise of this chapter is as follows: science has played a major role in transforming our Western worldviews, specifically the Western perception of nature/wilderness. In this text, Oeschlaeger discusses the evolution of the term nature, and how it is perceived throughout history (beginning at the Middle Ages) by society. Oeschlaeger states that nature is seen as mythless and infinitely plastic in today’s society. The author compares medieval and Christian perspectives on nature. The…

The subject of an experiment cries out, “I can’t stand it. I’m not going to kill that man in there” (Milgram 120), as the experimenter compels his subject to administer deadly electrical shocks to another man. The subject clearly expresses his moral objections to these instructions, yet to influence his subject, the insistent experimenter does not lock the door, nor does he hold the subject at knifepoint- he only requests that the subject “Continue, please” (121). And so the subject continues.…

Wilderness in the Eyes of a Contemporary and Thoreau. (A comparison of the view of nature between Thoreau in his text, Walden and a person in today’s society.) People today seem to have many different views on nature and the purpose it serves us currently. Nature can be a place of horror and monsters, or a place of retreat, or simply something that exists. Widely, it appears that society now doesn’t have the appreciation of nature that was once held by our ancestors. Henry David Thoreau was one…

Nonconformity, “let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine."(Henry David Thoreau) what does it mean when he says that? Maybe he means that let your life be a good one, instead of a bad one. When reading “self-reliance” I personally thought it meant to reflect on the wrong choices you have made when you were younger and as you get older focus on the future and make better choices. But in Emerson’s story “self-reliance” he states that “To believe in your own thought, to believe that…

Chris McCandless was a young man who had a penchant for adventure and living unconventionally. Unlike most Americans, McCandless did not deem wealth, government, and other worldly concepts as vital components in life. Instead, McCandless lived an eccentric lifestyle; McCandless’ outlook on life relates to the views of modern transcendentalism. Transcendentalists are philosophers who believe in order to live a successful life one must live by challenging experience and not conforming to society.…