[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

In Thoreau’s experience at Walden Pond, he learned not only about himself as a person, but about how his own reflection and contemplation of the universe would allow for a sense of clarity in his life. Thoreau’s reflection concluded with man’s own determination, allowing them to “meet with a success unexpected,” solely by only their individual pursuits in life (Thoreau 358). Thoreau recognizes that each individual can envision and control their own destiny. This destiny is almost always “wider than our views of it,” for each person’s life is filled with abounding opportunities waiting to be shaped by their choices; choices which allow them to live fulfilling, simplistic lives. This idea was embodied in almost all of Thoreau’s experiences at Walden, and every moment at Walden presented Thoreau with an opportunity to reflect and choose to do so which increased his personal simplicity and purity in his existence.

So rarely has an opportunity been presented that caused myself to reflect in such a way as Thoreau’s writing has. His writing, due to its complexity, warranted a certain degree of reflection with every sentence, for each individual sentence had a purpose, a point to demonstrate. In my own reflection, it has been made clear to myself that the simplicity so vital to Thoreau’s worldly pursuits is just as prominent in my own life. We live in a world where there is always something going on, something taking our attention at almost every second of the day, often without warranted reflection upon our own actions. With simplicity as his guide, Thoreau attests to the idea that “the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness” (Thoreau 359). Reflection such as this caused me to envision a bigger picture of my own life and how in its complexity, there is simplicity in how my life has changed with the opportunities I have taken advantage of.

In my own life, this reflection based in simplicity is one which I hope to incorporate more often in my own life. In the elimination of certain distractions present in my life, I hope to focus more on my own personal development. For myself, I believe something as simple as a more frequent exploration of literature will provide for short escapes from the constant flow of information provided to my generation. In taking more time to read reflective literature, I believe I can utilize the time away from distractions to reflect more consistently.

[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

In “Brute Neighbors,” Thoreau details how the two sides of the ant population have been waging war on each other because their only purpose in existence is to survive. Thoreau too lived a simple life, and the idea that humans would come to live just as the ants did if they lived more simply supports how human history has transpired in the past. In simpler times without the advanced technology of today, there were almost always warring nations “fiercely contenting with each other” in a similar fashion as the ants (287). The ants symbolize the division in human society that has existed for as long as humans have. Whether it be “the red republicans … [or] the black imperialists,” the North and the South, or any other historical division in human history, the ants represent two sides of conflict and how it is instinctual for humans to engage in conflict (287). In this way, the historical details provided by Thoreau are put in context by the simplicity of the violent nature of the ants as simplistic beings.

I found Elise’s reflection on the waging of war inside the human psyche to be very introspective in that it was an angle of the meaning I had not considered before. I think that the ants, in their reflection of inner struggles of humans, relates to the idea of instinctual violence because inner human conflict has often spurred many of the wars and violence seen throughout human history.

[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

In “Higher Laws,” Thoreau presents an ideology which discourages the consumption and savoring of any unnecessary food for he believes it is “insignificant and unnecessary, and cost[s] more than it” is worth (276). Although Thoreau claims that “a little bread or a few potatoes would have done as well,” the enjoyment of food has been grounded in societies and religions worldwide because of how it connects other humans (276). When experiencing food of another culture, the new and savory experience for the human pallet often provides context for such higher intellectual pursuits which Thoreau describes. One often analyzes unfamiliar experiences, and in this way, such savory and/or unfamiliar food can become a catalyst to some form of reflection. As proclaimed by Thoreau himself, enjoying food “is an instinct,” so why limit the human capacity for higher intellectual thought, even if it is in the form of savory foods (276)? Such delicacies may not be a distraction, but instead an inspiration.

I found Noah’s mentioning of modern day nutritional and behavioral data to be very informative and it well supported his points describing no clear necessity for the removal of such savory foods from one’s diet to achieve higher intellectual thoughts. Because there is no correlation between savory foods and a decreased human ability to mentally function, there is no scientific evidence which supports Thoreau’s claims.
 

[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

In “The Ponds,” Thoreau speaks to Walden Pond’s innate beauty and tranquility as a symbol of purity and innocence. The pond is “as cold as it is pure,” a body of water which has survived generations as a consistent reminder of the clarity of the solitude of nature (253). This lasting clarity has, over time, made itself clear to Thoreau and is evident in the fact that Walden “is perennially young” and continues to provide bountiful simplicity in its naturalistic cleanliness to a world which so lacks these aspects of life (260). Just as Walden “has no visible inlet or outlets,” the ponds purity is confined solely to the space it occupies, opening itself up to those who stop and reflect upon its beauty and in doing so, metaphorically cleansing themselves with the ever present purity of the pond (261). Such an opportunity is one which Thoreau celebrates in his own experiences, perhaps part of the reason he began his quest for solitude in the first place.

I found Noah’s reflection of the pond as an inspiration for Thoreau’s own ideology to be very thought provoking. In a way, both Thoreau and Walden Pond exist as similar entities: both are separated from society and in this separation, have found a sense of purity in their solitary existence in nature.

[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

In “Economy,” Thoreau presents obligations which are based solely on the materialistic society and how the illusion of this necessity of material goods compels such a society to work towards them. In “The Bean Field,” Thoreau details the motivations of other, generational farmers who “will only be as brave as their fathers were” (238). The farmers’ ‘bravery’ references how limited their willingness to expand and change their own livelihood is, based on what their previous generations had done in the past. Thoreau holds the conviction that “this generation is … sure to plant corn … precisely as … the first settlers” did (238). Nothing has changed for the current farmers are bound by a traditional obligation which they are not brave enough to break. In this way, the farmers, unlike Thoreau, are obligated to work not from their own free will, but instead because of their generational traditions of farming. Thoreau becomes the example of his own ideal and assumes the role of a farmer by his own choice hoping that he would have “pursued [his] labor” upon his own accord (235). As time goes on, Thoreau comes to enjoy his work, not matter how tedious it becomes. These two different motivations provide context for how motivations change between working upon one’s own free will and being forced into a similar kind of work.

I found Max’s reference to Thoreau’s imagery of farms as jail cells to be very prevalent to the discussion in the way which it shows that one’s own motivation can liberate oneself from the metaphorical prison of tedious and seemingly unbearable labor. No matter what work is being done, Thoreau shows, by example, the one can overcome it simply with the correct motivation.

[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

For Thoreau, solitude is a crucial part finding himself, a pursuit which he lives out in its entirety during his time at Walden Pond. For Thoreau, “it [is] wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time” so as to have the time to truly reflect and act on one’s own conscience and conduct as a human being (216). Existing in a communal setting is “soon wearisome and dissipating” enough so that Thoreau believes society as a whole “lose[es] … respect for one another” in the attempt to “have had to agree on a certain set of rules” (216). Thoreau makes it clear that as a society, individuals are influenced negatively in such a way which would sway their own self being and self-awareness of how they, as individuals, conduct themselves. In remaining in solitude, one can truly find their inner self, unhindered by the unrealistic expectations which have been set forth by a society which heavily influences such individuals.

In reading Muriel’s response, I found her idea of “a person [being] content with them self” removing the “need [of] another person to rely upon” to be in concurrence with Thoreau’s ideals of the necessity of solitude. Thoreau’s point is found in the need to find oneself apart from the rest of society, and once an individual has found their true selves, Thoreau concludes that they have no other need but to be content with and improve upon themselves as solely individuals.

[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

In Thoreau’s “Where I Lived and What I Lived for,” it is made clear that the American society is blind to their own simplistic needs; the culture exists in a state where material goods have taken a far higher priority than most other basic needs. Thoreau recognizes how important physical property in the form of land has become to this society, for “it makes little difference whether [the people] are committed to a farm or county jail” (176). People’s own land has become so important to their existence in a community and for their own sustenance and status that the upkeep alone is similar to being jailed; one cannot escape such confinement and is forced, of their own free will, to take on and uphold such a commitment. Thoreau is aware of just how much this ownership of the physical land can detract from one’s spiritual reflections and simplistic life, so much so, that the society defined by material goods has been “frithered away by [the] detail” of life on a farm (182). It is in this way that the American dynamic of societal influences has completely changed, placing materialistic values in the utmost of priorities.

These consumerist traits continue to plague our modern society in almost every aspect of its existence. In fact, most material goods which are more than frivolous have been redefined as cultural necessities. Everything from smart phones, to high end computers, even TV’s have all become integral aspects of society in 2014. America itself is a nation heavily influenced by consumerism, and modern technology has made it even easier than ever to consume more still. As the consumerism of our society continues to increase, it has been found that that spiritual ties which once bound our societies have been increasingly weakened. Church is recognizably far less of a priority for America as a whole than it once was. In this way, consumerism in America has been and continues to take hold of a society which once valued the spiritual reality described by Thoreau.

In reading Max’s response, I found his imagery of “the shiny toys” as unnecessary materialistic goods to be extremely effective in conveying his point of the consumerism which has consumed our own society. Our society becomes easily enraptured with the newest and brightest of products, enough to outweigh the true necessities of life.

[Conner “Dragonfruit” Flynn]

In Thoreau’s “Economy,” there are four main necessaries of life, four basic needs which Thoreau explains are only achieved through one’s “own exertions” (120). These basic needs of “Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel” are just that: basic needs (121). Beyond these few necessities, all else is purely frivolous. Heavily present as a representation of these needs is the symbol of heat. Thoreau makes it clear that every man can live their lives with only the basic needs supplied and be metaphorically “kept comfortably warm,” whereas “the luxurious rich … [are kept] unnaturally hot” in their lives, overburdened with the excess of material goods which they themselves have redefined as their basic needs to survive (122). In essence, where the rich feel poor, the poor feel rich. This profound revelation on the perspective our society holds truly defines how Thoreau viewed the true needs of societies blinded by materialistic ideals.
Once one has achieved the basic necessaries in their lives, Thoreau’s next step is found in improving oneself. Once one has “rooted himself” in the basic necessities of life, one can pursue an “adventure on life,” discovering how they themselves can flourish as part of a society with only their basic needs fulfilled (123).
In reading Sammy’s response, I found her point on the attachment of emotional traits to luxuries very relevant in how common this occurs in our everyday lives. Understanding how easily one can become attached to a certain object or memento certainly falls outside Thoreau’s boundaries of basic needs but has become an integral part of some peoples’ lives. Certain gifts or objects handed down to them can become their most prized possessions, and in some cases, given a higher priority than what Thoreau’s necessaries. In this light, one can see how materialistic ideals have affected our modern society.

– Conner Flynn

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