Walden

about nature, wanted to understand nature and, more importantly, life better. To do so, he went to live in the woods of Walden Pond for two years, and wrote a book about his time there. The resulting work, entitled Walden, discussed Thoreau’s time in Walden. The second chapter named “Where I Lived and What I Lived For”, heavily discussed why Thoreau decided to live at Walden Pond for two years. Thoreau continues the chapter by attempting to present the purpose of living life simply, going so…

human nature by removing ourselves from the company of other humans? Thoreau, for one, wanted to answer this same exact question, and he conducted an experiment purely based on his own experience alongside Mother Nature for two years and two months at Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. Through his experiment, Thoreau endeavored to escape the distractions and emotional clutters of society in order to get in touch with his inner self in and to find out what living really meant. As Thoreau…

Throughout the book “Walden and Other Writings of Henry David Thoreau,” Thoreau argues that nature brings freedom to the soul, mind, and spirit. Thoreau emphasizes the fact that nature allows humanity to get back to the basics by empowering living instead of merely existing. In order to argue his point, went to live in the woods, provide for himself, saunter, and write daily in his journal. His project was then compiled into short essays to make his case. Thoreau set out to prove himself to…

amount of friends they have, meals they eat, and possessions they own (1102). Thoreau graduated from Harvard university and throughout his life he worked as a tutor, house painter, carpenter, mason, surveyor and pencil maker. In 1845 Thoreau moved to Walden Pond, on his friend’s property, where he built himself a cabin to live in.…

thoroughly represents this when he states, “I went to the woods because I wish to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I cannot learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” (Walden 73). Thoreau is saying he wanted to learn what nature had to teach him and when it came time for him to die he would have experienced a fulfilling live without regrets. He also addresses the idea that simplifying life and focusing on the…

without individuality the world would be led by followers rather than leaders that can discern from right and wrong. It is through autonomy and self-exploration that people can strive for change within themselves and our nation. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and “Civil Disobedience” both discuss the idea of obtaining independence from our established institution trough the exploration of the self and by being self-reliant. He also emphasizes that in order to achieve these two, people need to live…

that each should embrace life as if it is here for today, but could be gone tomorrow. Transcendentalists believed in living for what presents itself to us today, today, and worry about living what presents itself tomorrow, tomorrow. In Thoreau’s “Walden,” he states, “Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails. Let us rise early and fast, or break fast, gently and without perturbation; let company come…

semester as a class we have read multiple forms of readings varying in style and meaning. The different types of readings were meant to enrich our minds of knowledge and shape our human experience. After reading some of the forms of literature, such as Walden and Civil Disobedience, A year of Magical Thinking and the Auto Biography of an Ex-Colored Man my mind has expanded to consider different parts of life. I think about the way I live my life and the things I do as a human being. The course…

Thoreau in his essay “Walking” introduces the idea of wildness. This wildness is not the same as the wilderness that has become the default for many individuals. In this essay I will attempt to identify Thoreau’s definition of wildness. Thoreau identifies the wildness as the West (609). In one way this is the geographical west, the area currently occupied by states such as Kansas, Colorado, and Montana. Opposite to the west is the east geographically the east is England and France. Thoreau is…

The Different Shapes and Sizes of Nonconformity Nonconformists come in various shapes and sizes. Henry David Thoreau, the author of both Walden and Civil Disobedience, is the textbook definition of nonconformity. However, nonconformity cannot be exemplified with a single definition. It can be exhibited in many different ways. Shia LaBeouf, a modern day actor, may not seem like a nonconformist at first glance, but if one takes a closer look it becomes clear that LaBeouf embodies numerous…