[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

In “Conclusion” Thoreau speaks about what he has learned in the two years and two months he lived at Walden Pond. He says that one of the things he learned from his experiment was “that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,…he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours”(358). By this he means that it is important that people do what matters to them in life and work hard and the result will be success. He also believes that people should live off of only the minimum amount of what they need and that simplicity is a good thing. He says that as a person “simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will seem less complex” (359).

Reading Walden has taught me many things. It has opened my eyes to what is really important and necessary in life and what is not. Although we might think we “need” something, we really don’t. I did not agree with every point Thoreau made because some were too extreme, however, many of them were good points. In my own life I would like to incorporate his idea that money and material things are not very important in life and also to enjoy and appreciate nature more.

[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

In Thoreau’s “Brute Neighbors” he describes an occasion in which he saw a battle between ants. The two groups are tearing each other’s’ limbs off, their evident battle cry being “Conquer or die” (288). If everyone lived simply as Thoreau did, we would turn into living like these ants because they live simply. They’re one goal is to defeat the other ants to protect themselves and their home even if it means death. Thoreau states that “human soldiers never fought so resolutely” (287). Because the ants live so simply, they are able to focus on what is important to them without having to worry or think about society. In this chapter, Thoreau also refers to the Revolutionary war. He compares it to the battle the ants are fighting and comments on the ”patriotism and heroism displayed” by the soldiers and how this can be seen in the ants (288).

 

I agree with Julia’s comment. Thoreau believes that humans should be able to easily live as one with nature, but this seems like a very difficult task. There would be many things people wouldn’t agree on, one of the largest probably being power, that would result in fighting.

[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

In “Higher Laws” Thoreau states that people should not savor their food or cook large meals. He believes the people should instead have a “simple and clean diet” that is easy to prepare (277). Thoreau says that “it is not worth the while to live by rich cookery” meaning that there is no real gain to eating large meals (277). In my opinion, people should be able to eat large meals and enjoy the food as well. Eating is necessary to living, so enjoying and savoring it is not wrong. However, people do not have to indulge themselves in large, fancy meals every day.

I agree with what Isabella said. Thoreau makes a good point in saying that what you eat is important, however this does not mean that people should not enjoy the food they eat.

[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

In “The Ponds” Thoreau discusses the beauty of Walden Pond and how it is “remarkable for its depth and purity” (247). To him the pond is symbolic of peace and mystery. He states that the water of Walden Pond “is of such crystalline purity that the body of the bather appears of an alabaster whiteness” (428) which shows its purity and peacefulness. Thoreau is also very intrigued by the mystery of the depth of the pond and remarks about how “some think it is bottomless” (249).

I find Julia’s response very interesting. The symbolism of the eye was not something that I immediately thought of but it is a very good point and I agree with her.

[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

Although in “Economy” Thoreau says that farmers devote too much time to their work, he becomes a farmer himself in the chapter “The Bean Field.” In “The Bean Field,” Thoreau discusses the differences of work that you choose to do and work that you have to do and how the bean field he has planted was work he chooses to do. He does not farm because he wants to gain money from it; he farms because he wishes to gain the “experience” of “sincerity, truth, simplicity, faith, innocence, and the like” (237). While Thoreau is farming for a spiritual benefit, most other farmers are working because they “have to” and are looking to gain physical things such as money and possessions.

I agree with Taylors point about Thoreau looking for the discipline that comes from doing manual labor and not a gain of money or belongings. This is why he is not quite contradicting what he stated about farmers in the chapter of “Economy.”

[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

In “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”, Thoreau shows that many Americans prefer material things rather that spiritual reality. He states that the nation is “cluttered with furniture and tripped up with its own traps, ruined by luxury and heedless expense” (Thoreau 183). This shows how everybody is only concerned with the physical objects they have and are always greedy for more. The people focus too much on the material things in their life and cannot see that “petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of the reality” (Thoreau 186).

The preference for material rather than spiritual reality is still in effect in 2014. This is shown through people’s actions today just as they were then. People compete to have the most items and desire to have the most money.

Amanda, I agree with you about how people are not concerned with nature and only care about accessories. Many people would prefer to have more material items than just enjoy nature and this is very much true today.

[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

In “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” Thoreau tells how and why he almost bought the Hollowell Farm. The qualities of the farm that were appealing to Thoreau were “its complete retirement, being about two miles from the village… its bounding on the river…the gray color and ruinous state of the house and barn… the dilapidated fences… but above all, the recollection [he] had of it from [his] earliest voyages up the river” (Thoreau175-6). Thoreau prefers a simple lifestyle and you can see this through his liking of this farm. He would prefer to be surrounded by nature than other people and does not need extravagant things to be happy as some others do.

In response to Alexa, I agree that seclusion is very important to Thoreau. He prefers to live far from other human beings and enjoys being close to nature.

[Cassie “Kiwi” Krue]

In “Economy” Thoreau states that the “necessaries” of life are the most basic things. For humans these things  are “Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel” (120). However, we only need the minimal amount of each and nature can often provide us with much of what we need. For example, while shelter is a “necessary of life” one does not need a large house and some can even go without a house for a while (132). Once one has obtained these “necessaries” they are “prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success” (120).

Shelby’s point about clothing is a very good one. Although Thoreau states that clothing is necessary in order to live, this is not always true. Clothing is necessary occasionally, for protection, but if you have shelter to protect you clothing becomes less of a necessity and more of a want.

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