[Darby Daly]

I think that prejudices towards all of these aspects have, and unfortunately always will, influence education. As most people have mentioned above, the dominant figure for education is the dead white man. This is just the way our society seems to work. No matter how great an idea or a work of literature may be, it will always be judged based on who came up with it. In today’s society people are becoming more accepting of different races, sexes, etc., however, not everyone will be viewed as equal.

One of the main reasons that the dead white man are so respected amongst educational purposes, is because there was a time when only wealthy white men were allowed to be scholars. This had definitely impacted our education system today, and it is trying to be expanded.

[Darby Daly]

One of the changes that I noticed was in the second paragraph where Lincoln made the change from “for those who gave their lives,” to “for those who died here that…” and I believe this to be one of the more impactful changes because the wording itself comes off as so much stronger in the edited version. The first version gets the point across, but I think the use of the word “died” makes it more powerful because it just seems like more of a big deal. This change makes the tone and rhythm appear more serious than it had in the original version.

[Darby Daly]

I too appreciated that quote, and interpreted it in a way that is kind of similar to both Kasey and Catherine. While I can understand it being related to just literature and the printing of books, I can also understand it being related to all of social media. I think in a way that this quote can be “read” in any way that the reader interprets (as long as it is in the scope of reason), and that is a point that Thoreau seems to be expressing throughout Walden.

[Darby Daly]

I like this concept a lot, I had a similar thought process throughout almost the entire time that I was reading Walden. It is an interesting idea in that it requires serious consideration as to who is actually in charge of our lives and whether we may even have a say in our own lives at all. One way of thinking about this idea is that we choose to go along with the norms of society simply because it is easier, and perhaps, the safer alternative to venturing out on our own. Society has made it so that it appears as if Thoreau’s actions were not necessarily acceptable; however, Thoreau is doing this on purpose, to prove to the people that living freely among nature entirely possible.

[Darby Daly]

I think that this may, in a sense, limit Thoreau’s understanding of the current situation. Rather than coming up with his own conclusions as to what he sees before him, he compares it to something scholarly. While, yes this can be impressive and demonstrate his intelligence, it is unnecessary. If Thoreau is thinking so deeply about a simple battle between ant colonies, then he must be doing the same for more important scenarios that he finds himself in. Doing so might obstruct in how he experiences something, as he seems too focused on comparing real life to his knowledge from literature.

[Darby Daly]

The relationship between our preconceived notions and how we may read people and text is very significant because I believe that there is a strong connection between them. Even though we may not do it on purpose, we will always be guilty of judging a person or a text based on who we are ourselves and what we know from our pasts. Any experience that we have had or the type of upbringing that we experienced in our youth will ultimately influence how we conceive others, whether it be positive or negative.

Thoreau was brought up in a time where he was taught to be prejudice against the Irish as it was a time of immigration. This most likely influenced his negative view of he Field family because he already has a poor opinion towards those who are Irish, and even though Thoreau doesn’t necessarily know much about the family personally, he immediately objectifies them with his feelings regarding all Irish people.

[Darby Daly]

I think that the presence of technology has allowed for the expansion of social mobility, while the absence of technology allowed people to supercede it. This is because through technology it is easier to obtain so many different opinions through a source such as social media or the news channel on television. Before technology people were more persistent on their own opinions and ways of life that there wasn’t much room for change in their minds. With everyone connecting over social media and ideas being shared more freely, it makes the presence of the conventions of social mobility more noticeable.

[Darby Daly]

I believe that humans have a direct link to nature. In our current time period this may be disregarded as technology has allowed for some people to eliminate a lot of their relationship with nature, however; nature will always have an impact on our lives. In Thoreau’s time, the relationship may appear stronger as the people were more dependent on nature. Even though there may be less of a relationship today than there once was, it would be impossible for humans to live independent of nature. No matter how much people may try to avoid it they will always be influenced by factors such as weather or natural disasters. I think that people should start to re-strengthen that relationship because if we become too used to not having a relationship with nature, not only will we be losing out on experiencing real life, we will also be incapable of handling ourselves in the event of unpredictable natural occurrences.

[Darby Daly]

I believe that the classics are in a sense necessary to read as they have influenced today’s culture and modern literature and other forms of entertainment. For example, many of todays movies are based off of a form of Shakespeare. Knowing the classics helps with ones cultural understanding of literature as a whole. However, being able to read in general is also very important. If someone is not capable of reading the classics but they are still capable of simple reading, such as works for children and feeble intellects, it is still better than not  knowing how to read at all.

[Darby Daly]

I don’t think that this company is necessarily being dishonest as much as it is just lacking information. Wake Up Now is filling these people with hopes of wealth without providing enough information for them to understand what they will be getting themselves into. People like Damien should not be taken advantage of because it obviously is not fair for them as they aren’t aware of completely looking into the company before joining, however; it is their own fault for not taking that precaution before ending their steady career and previous lifestyle. The appeal of Wake Up Now seems to fill these people with the hope that they need to continue on without being disappointed in the outcome of their lives. Wake Up Now is clever in targeting their audiences because these people are essentially vulnerable to the idea of the perfect career. It is not that they are being dishonest, they are taking advantage of people like Damien, but not in a forceful manner.

[Author]

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