[Holly Gilbert]

Casey makes a really good point about the benefits and safety of a government and society. This adds a new layer to our group’s idea – to what degree are our lives improved by such systems? However, I didn’t get the idea that Thoreau necessarily advocates complete isolation or a weaker government. Neither does he expect his readers to take on his exact lifestyle; his experience, as he says, is not going to fit everyone. Instead, he urges readers to live on their own terms, rather than chaining themselves to a lifestyle that doesn’t allow them to be fulfilled. Thoreau, who lives in the woods, hasn’t fully left society, after all – he is engaging with passersby and guests, writing, and contacting publishers.

[Holly Gilbert]

I think it’s interesting to look back and see how, as a class, our opinions on Thoreau’s attitude in this chapter may have changed. At first, many of us were offended by what we construed as racist, offensive comments toward the Field family. After talking with Beth Witherell and Ron Clapper, however, we were exposed to different perspectives on Walden’s intentions here. I definitely reconsidered my criticism of “Baker Farm” after considering the idea that Thoreau may have been attempting to stir up a complacent population. While we will always have to question whether Thoreau is being discriminatory here, and to what degree, I think the fact that our views have evolved shows how helpful outside information and perspectives can be when evaluating a text.

[Holly Gilbert]

I do think there is a distinction between learning from books, the Internet, or videos and learning from hands-on experience and direct observation (as we discussed in class). There is a lot of value in experiential learning, for it allows you to interact with your teacher/the material you are working with as you learn. Being able to ask questions and see the effects of your actions is extremely helpful. On the other hand, books, videos, and how-to articles offer a wealth of knowledge when it may not be reasonable to be expected to learn something through experience. In class, it was mentioned that there are pros and cons to each system, and we need to be able to have access to what works for us as individuals. This, I think, is a good approach to learning, and one Thoreau seems to embrace with his combination of knowledge gleaned from reading and experience in the wild.

[Holly Gilbert]

While I agree with the point of view that Thoreau on some level disapproved of the Field family on the basis that they do not lead the simple life he does, I think it would actually be difficult to believe he had no prejudice against Irish immigrants in this passage. With the line, ” I had sat there many times of old before the ship was built that floated his family to America,” it’s clear that Thoreau is influenced by the persistent American prejudice against new waves of immigrants – there’s a pattern of discrimination towards the newest arrivals to the country, which can be seen throughout our history and still exists today. Thoreau seems to have this ingrained sense of superiority towards the Field family, and as Maya said, he closely associates the family and their problems with their heritage. I think it’s important to realize how preconceived notions about people or groups of people affect the way we read them – if we fail to recognize this, we may not realize the failings in our judgments about others.

[Holly Gilbert]

I believe that observing is reading – we are reading people, our surroundings, etc. every day. When making an observation, it should be considered reading once you supply meaning to it. For instance, Thoreau notices the woodchuck’s behavior and analyzes it in order to come to the conclusion that the animal is more “acclimated and naturalized” than himself. As Ally said, Thoreau is learning from his observations of the woodchuck much like he would learn from reading text.  Reading text on a page and giving meaning to an observation involve a similar process.

[Holly Gilbert]

I agree that reading classic literature offers a reader an understanding of history and literature that is necessary for a well-rounded education. However, the belief that only the classics matter – this literary elitism – does a disservice to readers. At one time, was not all literature contemporary? Were not many texts that are considered necessary classics at one time hotly contested and censored? The contemporary literature that may be looked down upon by elitists has the potential to be a classic in decades or centuries anyway, and reading these texts allows readers to discover new ideas about modern issues. While themes and perspectives from the classics are certainly relevant, there are subjects that contemporary writers tackle that may not have been considered centuries ago. It’s necessary to be exposed to literature from a variety of sources – both in regard to geography and time period.

[Holly Gilbert]

I completely agree that digital reading – having quick and easy access to information – allows readers  to connect with each other and with material in beneficial ways. However, I do admit that being so accustomed to gathering information from Tweets or blogs has made the process of carefully, patiently reading an important printed text seem all the more tedious. Outside of school, aren’t we used to being presented short bursts of information instead of devoting our full attention to a text? Couldn’t this detract from our willingness/ability to read print? While digital reading, and the ability to do things like read Walden with a community of other readers, is undoubtedly valuable and constructive, there is a give and take.

[Holly Gilbert]

In the case of Wake Up Now, I think there’s a difference between leaving literature open to interpretation and purposefully glossing over information that may change a reader’s mind about what he or she is reading. Not all authors of persuasive works should be held responsible for the choices of their followers; as Kasey states, Thoreau offers a somewhat well-balanced argument on how to improve one’s life which offers some clear indication that he doesn’t believe his lifestyle choices would suit everyone. Wake Up Now, however, is a company attempting to make a profit off of people who may be too drawn in by hype to evaluate the business they are joining. While the company does publish its dismal statistics, it puts little effort into presenting this information to its following. Generally, it should be understood that there will be a variety of interpretations of any literature and the author should not be held responsible for this. When marketing and profits are thrown into the mix, however, I do  authors (like Wake Up Now) can be charged with putting out misleading information.

[Holly Gilbert]

While Thoreau’s arguments about the limits of book learning are strong, I also think books have merits that should not be overlooked. Learning from books and classes teaches you to think critically and opens you to new ideas in a way that pure experience may not be able to. When exposed to differing opinions or ideas never before considered, you’re challenging yourself to consider life from a variety of perspectives – how could you expose yourself to enough practical experience to match this? Furthermore, Thoreau assumes that students are learning at the expense of their families with no practical outcome to their schooling. This is especially invalid today, when so many students are working hard to put themselves through college and it is widely believed that finding a good career without a degree (gleaned largely from book learning) is difficult to say the least.

[Holly Gilbert]

It’s true that in the industry, covers are often out of the author’s control in order to market a book a certain way (as we discussed in class, the paperback cover designed for Catcher in the Rye is a great example of this). I think this marketing does lead me to make assumptions and judgments about a book’s content and intended audience. If you see the shelves of contemporary YA literature in stores, for instance, it seems like every cover features an artsy photo of some beautiful teenage girl. Similarities like these lead me to group books together and make judgments on their worth without knowing anything about the quality of the writing or plot of the novel. Even if an author puts out what may be an original and well-written story, I’d be deterred by covers that fit into the newest marketing craze; why would I read something that appears to be like every other book in its genre? In this way, covers that are designed to be colorful and attention-grabbing might actually have the unintended effect of turning readers away.

[Author]

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