[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

Through Thoreau’s experiences and his admiration of nature he learned that ultimately simplicity will lead to a greater quality of life. Thoreau had a much higher admiration for nature than he did tolerance for society, and through this he was able to achieve a better life for himself. While in todays society his life would not have been ideal, nor considered a “better” life, it was the perfect life for him. Being in solitude and being able to transcend and immerse himself in nature played a key role in Thoreau’s life and reading about his experiences and thoughts while in solitude has impacted mine. Thoreau learned the importance of having mental toughness and self reliance and how a persons surroundings can play an important role in one’s own life.

By reading Walden I learned that the glitz and glamour of todays society should not be everyone’s ideal. Many people grow up wanting to be famous and wanting to have all the excess in their life, thinking that more money will ultimately lead to more happiness. What I have come to realize is that this is not always the case. The excess that todays society offers is often a mere distraction from the real issues people are hiding. I have learned that simplicity is often more rewarding in the end. Excess will not always lead to happiness but when a person is able to step back form everything that society has to offer and take the time to discover themselves that a greater happiness can be reached.

In my own life I wish to incorporate, and already have, Thoreau’s appreciating for nature. When I step back and put down my phone, turn off the TV, and get off the computer, I realize that the world has so much more to offer than what is on that screen. In the fall the leaves turn beautiful shades of red and orange and bright yellow, and in winter the snow is bright and dazzling, the spring offers up life to every plant once again, and in summer they flourish. Thoreau placed an emphasis on nature being his escape from society and after reading Walden I have been able to step back and see how much more beautiful the world actually is when you take away all the distractions.

[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

In “Higher Laws” Thoreau disapproves of how people over indulge themselves in food. Thoreau believes in a much simpler form of life than most, believing that one should live only with the necessities of life, and this extends into food. In “Economy” Thoreau spoke about how food was a necessity of life, but now he is saying that while it is a necessity, it should only be enjoyed in small amounts and should be savored. His views are much different from that of today where most people over indulge themselves in everything, especially food. While I am guilty of over indulging in food and not always savoring what I eat, I do agree with Thoreau. If everyone lived by eating only what was necessary to keep them alive then most people would live a much happier life. Many people in todays society eat to avoid emotions, if people simply ate when they needed to they would be able to deal with their emotions and thus live a happier life.

I enjoy how Noah pointed out the nutritional value of the food that people eat. How the foods that people eat that Thoreau had been saying were people indulging actually carry a nutritional value that people need in their diet. Thoreau has a very complex view about life and while his views about eating may have made since at the time they are now outdated for todays society.

[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

In “Brute Neighbors”, Thoreau compares the lives of humans to the lives of the ants. The ants he observed lived a simple life, but where constantly at war with each other. Thoreau lived a simple life much like the ants. Although this life is ideal for Thoreau, if all humans lived simply as he did it would lead to life much like the ants, always being at war with one another. This is shown in the colonial period where colonists lived a much simpler life than people do now, there was consistent war between people at these times as well. When one war ended it seemed as if another began, people lived in a constant state of war. The ants show how humans have been divided throughout history. In every war there was one side against another, much like the red and black ants. The division between the two ants shows how society is divided, if all humans lived as simply as Thoreau does then a war would constantly be waging between the two sides of society.

I enjoyed Haley’s response on how Thoreau personified the ants. Through his personification it made it clearer how he wanted the ants to be viewed and how the war waged between the ants would be and have been humans problems too in the past when everyone lived much simpler lives.

[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

Throughout the novel Thoreau is consistently speaking about his preference for nature over society. In “The Ponds” he goes more in depth about how nature makes him feel at peace, unlike society, especially Walden Pond. Walden Pond served as an escape from reality for Thoreau. He saw it not only as a pond but as his heaven. “The forest has never so good a setting, nor so distinctly beautiful, as when seen from the middle of a small lake amid hills which rise from the water’s edge; for the water in which it is reflected not only makes the best foreground in such a case, with its winding shore, the most natural and agreeable boundary to it.” Thoreau idealizes this pond seeing its beauty from every aspect. HE believes that there is nothing wrong with Walden Pond nor could there ever have been. A major point that Thoreau emphasizes about this pond is its purity. Thoreau believes society is corrupt yet he sees nature as this pure and wonderful thing that everybody should enjoy, he believes that if more people were surrounded by nature in isolation the world would be a better place. Walden Pond served as an escape for Thoreau, he saw only it purity and beauty.

While Taylor Moss does make an excellent point about the pond being reflective society I don’t agree with her. I never thought about this section that way until after her response. While this is true for modern day, that people are judged for the beauty on the outside but have so much more to offer on the inside I don’t think that was the intent of Thoreau. He doesn’t enjoy people or necessarily see the good in them so I don’t think when writing this section that his intent was to  portray the judgment of people. Although it is quite thought provoking.

[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

In “The Bean Field” Thoreau speaks about how farming the beans was not an obligatory job but rather a voluntary one. Although he did gain wealth from his farming that wasn’t the intent he had. Thoreau is an advocate for always wishing to better oneself and that was his main purpose in farming the beans. The difference between the work he exemplifies in “the Bean Field” and the work he speaks about in “Economy” is that he is doing this work for his personal gain and by his choice, he is not confined to this labor. “I turned to my hoeing again I was filled with an inexpressible confidence, and pursued my labor cheerfully with a calm trust in the future.”  By farming the beans Thoreau knows he is bettering himself and teaching self-discipline. This is the difference between obligatory and voluntary labor. Thoreau farming the beans was voluntary and was not intended to make a monetary profit, however the obligatory labor of others is often mundane and only used to gain wealth.

Taylor makes an excellent point when she says that Thoreau is being hypocritical because he has a strong dislike for farmers, yet he now is farming the beans and finding himself enjoying the labor. He had stated his dislike for farmers and yet he became the very thing he didn’t like.

[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

In “Solitude” Thoreau explains how while being away form society he came to have a clearer head and he enjoys being alone rather being around people. “In a midst of a gentle rain while these thoughts prevailed, I was suddenly sensible of  such sweet and beneficent society in nature” (213). In essence Thoreau is an introvert. He states that while he is alone, he is not lonely because he is surrounded by the beauty of nature, however many people living in society are lonely simply because they are surrounded by the wrong people. Thoreau believes that people cause loneliness, being alone with nature, does not. In Thoreau’s mind, people cause troubles for themselves and the people around them, by being by oneself in nature there can be no troubles. Nature brings out the beauty in a person, especially when living alone.

I disagree with Taylor when she says that Thoreau is a misanthrope, while he is a recluse and introvert I do not believe that he hates humanity. He would rather be by himself than with other people but he hasn’t given any strong clues that he has a distaste for mankind. I can see how she would view that form the book because of his seclusion from society but I don’t believe that his reason for seclusion is because he is a misanthrope.

[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

In the section “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” Thoreau speaks about how he almost bought Hollowell Farm. While most people would have been turned off by the solitude in which the farm presented, it enticed him. Thoreau is somewhat of a recluse, wishing to be away from society and all that it includes. Thoreau believes that he has to make his own life, not conform to what society thinks the norm is. On page 181 he says, “Every man is tasked to make his life, even in its details, worthy of the contemplation of his most elevated and critical hour.” Thoreau believes in only having the bare necessaries in life and then beginning to better oneself. By buying Hollowell Farm he would have been out of the pressures of society and free to live as he pleased with only the necessaries he needed.

Amanda makes an excellent point on how Thoreau wanted to be away from society and closer to nature. Nature enticed him whereas people did not. Thoreau is unlike many people in society especially today in that he doesn’t enjoy the company of other people but rather to be alone with his own thoughts.

[Alyssa “papaya” Emery]

In “Economy”, Thoreau believes that the “necessaries” of life are all derived from heat. He states that the only things a person needs in their life are “food, clothing, fuel and shelter” and among those, clothing and shelter are not so much a necessity but a necessary luxury. At the beginning of “Economy” Thoreau states, “Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them” (115).  This is to say that so many people in life are concerned with gaining more luxuries that they are unable to enjoy the luxuries after they’re obtained. Thoreau believes that when a person is given the bare minimum, only the necessaries, are they able to fully appreciate the things that have been given. Thoreau believes that after a man has achieved all the necessaries of life that he should not begin to obtain luxuries but instead work on bettering himself.

Taylor makes an excellent by saying that “Every human being is guilty of the feeling of envy based on what another has.”  Many people obtain and work to obtain the luxuries they have because they wish to impress other people, even if they don’t have the means to pay for the things they want. However Thoreau, at the beginning of “Economy” says, “Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines, or rather indicates his fate” (117). That is to say that man doesn’t always work to please everyone around him but rather to please himself. This is seen in modern day as well, when people feel down about themselves they tend to work for things they don’t actually need in order to attempt to bring back happiness. Many people don’t see that in order to enjoy their life, they don’t need more things but rather an appreciation for what they do have. Yes, a person could always have more, but they could always have less as well.

 

 

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