[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

 

After living at Walden Pond for 5 years, Thoreau learned more about the world and himself bettering his overall well being. He learned and grew his life around the four necessities, food, shelter, clothing, and fuel. Following these necessities he lived a life of simplicity, which he then carried to the rest of his life. Living in solitude allowed him so learn and discover more about himself. This brought him to the conclusion that he needed to take in nature and forget about society for a while. In nature he was able to transend into another life. “Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live” (358). Being in solitude with nature for many years made him realize if being in a different environment for so long led to a new and improved lifestyle, then there could be many other lives he can find. He learned living a simple life and being self-reliant can make one into a better person because they have more time to focus on them selves and pick out the things that could be improved in their life.

After reading Walden, I learned a lot from Thoreau’s stories. Learning about the four neccesitities brought me to the conclusion to live a simpler life. If one has the basic neccesities of life their shouldnt be anything else to worry about having. Thoreau’s life of solitude taught me that it is okay to be alone once and a while, and it can actually be beneficial. Being alone can allow one to reflect apon their life and improve themselves. Taking time to do this can make one feel better about themselves and can bring about a more peacful life. I deffinitly will take Thoreaus ideas about living a simpler life, by not desiring new clothes or electronics. I also will take in mind being alone. Going into nature, separating myself self from the internet, social media, and contacting friends is a way I can trancend and be like Thoreau.

[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

In “Higher Laws”, Thoreau explains his beliefs on the importance of eating for survival instead of pleasure. He believes that “it is not worth the while to live by rich cookery” (277). Rich cookery in his eyes is seen as a distraction to man. In “Economy”, we learned about the necessities of life, food, shelter, clothes, and fuel. In “Higher Laws”, we grasp a better understanding of how Thoreau interprets the word food. He believes food should be simple, nothing extravagant or nothing worthy of savoring the deliciousness.  After reading this chapter, I don’t agree with Thoreau entirely because one is allowed to treat themselves to a tasty meal once and a while. I dont think we should be eating extravagantly every day, but in moderation we can enjoy something a little nicer than usual. Emma, you make a good point that we have to eat anyways might as well eat extravagantly. Another thing is that if this nice savory food is already there and in our reach, why not just eat it? Why downgrade your meal when you can really enjoy it.

-Annie Durgin

 

[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

 

In “Brute Neighbors”, Thoreau talks about the two sides of the ants and how their lives revolve around war and the fight for dominance. In this chapter the ants represent humans and their desire to be the dominant figure of their society. He explains that the war happening is a “war between two races of ants”. Because this is between two races, this shows how society if facing division. They are separating themselves over the competition of who will be the more dominant force. The battle cry these ants use being “Conquer or die” (288) supports the reasoning that they two live a life full of simplicity like Thoreau because all they desire it to win. But if everyone went to living a life full of simplicity like Thoreau, we would turn into the ants. The reasoning behind this is that, living simply is difficult and the time and energy man focuses on materials would have to go somewhere if those materials were taken away. This energy would and time would allow every man to think about himself and compare himself to others, which makes them think about their status and leads to a war to fight for dominance.
In “Brute Neighbors”, Thoreau makes multiple historical illusions. “Internecine war; the red republicans on the one hand, and the black imperialists on the other” (287). In this comparison, the red republicans represent the red ants, while the black imperialists represent the black ants. The significance of comparing the ants to historical allusions is to show that men can relate to the ants.

April, I like your interpretation of what the ants represent. I think that’s a good way of understanding the ants saying how they represent what man could turn into if they continue the way they are acting. The ants are almost like mirrors to man showing them what they could be like.

-Annie Durgin

[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

In “The Ponds”, Walden Pond is seen in a different way in the eyes of Thoreau. To him the pond possess God-like properties. The pond brings a sense of calmness to Thoreau which allows him to forget about society and instead focus on himself. Walden Ponds qualities symbolizes pureness. “This water is of such crystalline purity” (248). The water symbolizes pureness which can also resemble one with no sins, one who is real. As we found out in “Solitude”, we know Thoreau enjoys being away from society, this realness symbolized by the pond may act as another “person” he can relate too while alone in nature.

Hunter,

I like your interpretation of the glassy transparency of the lake. “Perhaps Thoreau finds the transparency of the lake appealing because human’s aren’t exactly transparent”. I think this goes along with what I said about the realness resembled in the pond, not all humans are real and honest or transparent like the pond.

-Annie Durgin

[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

Throughout “The Bean Field”, Thoreau discusses the difference between work that one chooses to do and work that one is compelled to do by some obligation. This work one is compelled to do is usually for a reward such as money, while work one chooses is meant to better ones self. Thoreau explains how he completed his work without the aid of other men or animals. The result of this, allowed Thoreau to be “much more intimate with my beans than usual” (232). Being more intimate with his work gave him the opportunity to better himself. In “Economy”, people work and expect to be paid in return for their services. But Thoreau’s work ethic is all to improve his overall well being. He believes farming is a waste of time, yet he still does it. This shows how he truly is trying to better himself.

Kelcie,

I agree with what you said about work in “The Bean Field” being voluntary, while work in “Economy” was an obligation.

-Annie Durgin

 

[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

In “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”, Thoreau explains how Americans are valuing materials rather than spiritual reality. He explains that people believe its “essential that the Nation have commerce, and export ice, and talk through a telegraph, and ride thirty miles an hour” (182). This idea disregards the necessities of life Thoreau spoke of in “Economy”. Living a lavish life does not make one happy or any better than anyone else. People are beginning to praise and idolize their materials rather than the people that surround one or the essentials of life. Gratefulness for the necessities of life is lost and one may never see how necessary shelter, clothes, food, and fuel is.

Today in 2014 Thoreau would be horrified by the lack of value for spiritual reality. Today, everyone is attached to their phones, on TV, advertisements for new toys and electronics are shown, saying how helpful or fun they are and how they will make your life easier. Today peoples lives run on materials that are not included in the necessities.

Tim, I like the example you gave about people turning down a house just because of its looks. This supports reasons behind why people are bending the rules when it comes to the necessities. Some may see that shelter is a necessity, but it doesn’t specify what the shelter should look like. People will search for a large fancy house and call it shelter, if its not up to their expectations, they will turn it down like in “Where I Lived and What I Lived For”. But really when Thoreau says shelter he means something with a roof and walls to protect one. Branching out away from this simple shelter leads to favoring materialism rather than spiritual reality.

-Annie Durgin

[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

In “Solitude”, Thoreau puts great importance into the idea of solitude and how beneficial it can be in a persons life. Thoreau believes man is “more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers” (216). He believes being one with nature is a place where one can discover themselves. One can be among a crowd of people and still feel lonely. They may not fit in with other people and their personalities. Being in solitary allows one to think and feel not so alone in the world. Nature and solitary can not hurt one with words, which is more painful than actions. Actions such as a wound can heal over time, where as words stay in someones soul until they die. Staying in solitude  can allow one to never have to deal with an on going pain like this. Solitude resembles happiness in the eyes of Thoreau. One can focus on them self in solitude and find that happiness within.

Isabella, I like your statement, “Nature is always there while man is  not.” I think this is a good way of interpreting nature. It is true, one could abandon a friendship or disappear, where as nature is all around and there’s no escaping it.

-Annie Durgin

 

[Annie “Pomegranate” Durgin]

In “Economy”, Thoreau states that living simply is more beneficial rather living life extravagantly. To live a more beneficial life one must follow the four necessities of life which according to Thoreau are, “food, shelter, clothing, and fuel” (120). One may be born into a life with them, while others are forced to work to obtain them. Once one has these necessities, they are “prepared to entertain true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of life” (120). The struggle humans face however is determining what is considered necessary. For example, one may buy extravagant clothing, a large house, and fancy food; yes these all fall under the categories of clothes, shelter, and food, but they are not considered necessities. Humans face the decision of whether or not something is considered a luxury.

The necessities of life all come back to the idea of warmth and heat. Food and fuel bring warmth internally and clothing and shelter bring warmth externally and protect the heat inside the body. But once the body is warm, people have the desire to live a life not only with a warm body but with the luxuries that surround them. These luxuries create greed and jealousy between the people of society. These luxuries that surround people are what blind them from the necessities of life.

I agree with Carrie when she says, “These luxuries set people apart from each other, making sort of a competition to see who has more “unnecessary” objects”. People’s jealousy of what things other people have creates a game, and the outcome of the game determines their status in life,  a wealthy or a poor person.

-Annie Durgin

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