[Jordan Harcleroad]

On page 141 in Walden, Thoreau says, “It is true, I might have resisted forcibly with more or less effect, might have run ‘amok’ against society; but I preferred that society should run ‘amok’ against me, it being the desperate party.”  I think Chris would have agreed completely this Thoreau on this. Chris believed he was better off without society, that society needed him he didn’t need society. Chris disliked the entire idea of society, just as Thoreau had. In, Into The Wild Chris said that the government didn’t need to know how he got his food when asked if he had a hunting license. Also that they(Chris and Thoreau) aren’t against society, society is against them. They’re living how nature intended to have them live while society is doing the exact opposite.

[Jordan Harcleroad]

Thoreau stated in Walden, “Sometimes I bolted suddenly, and nobody could tell my whereabouts, for I did not stand much about gracefulness, and never hesitated at a gap in a fence.” I believe that Chris McCandless would completely agree with Thoreau. This is because that’s exactly what McCandless did, he completely dropped off the face of the Earth. He gave no indication of his leaving to anyone. McCandless just, bolted away suddenly and nobody did know his whereabouts until his body was discovered.  McCandless’s journey(as far as we have read at least) hasn’t been very graceful, it’s been full of obstacles such as the Datsun breaking down and McCandless abandoning it. In a way McCandless lived by this statement made my Thoreau, he lived sporadically and lived in the moment. Chris took all of the opportunities he could and didn’t hesitate to make decisions.

[Jordan Harcleroad]

Conflict – Struggle between two opposing forces i.e. Man vs. Society

 

Conflict is the entire basis of the book! The point of the book being written and Thoreau living on his own off the land for 2 years is to prove that we do not need modern technology, that modern technology is hindering our abilities to find our calling in life. Thoreau said, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had  to teach, and not, when I came to die, discovered I had not lived.” Thoreau believed that the only way to live your life fully is to live off the land without technology. That is the conflict in <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>Walden</span>. The struggle between a man and his beliefs and a society who is increasing their technology as well as making their lives more convenient.  Essentially in the ever growing technology we are losing our roots, losing our connection to nature as well as almost in a way, losing ourselves.

[Jordan Harcleroad]

Thoreau said, “Why should we live with such hurry and waste life?” I believe Thoreau would be appalled by our modern society. We as a society constantly rush through life, we don’t live day by day. All you ever hear is, “I can’t wait for the weekend!” or, “Is it Friday yet?” but while we’re waiting for the weekend, or wishing for Friday, we’re missing all the days between Monday and Friday. We have a complete disconnect from nature as well as life, we walk through the motions of life but how many of us are truly living?

[Jordan Harcleroad]

I feel most content when I’m with my friends, walking in the woods behind our houses. This is because it’s calm back in the woods, where there isn’t really much but the wild life and the vegetation. You can go off and do your own thing, it’s nice.

[Jordan Harcleroad]

Reading Walden with modern technology will be interesting is almost hypocritical to the message of the book. We are reading about disconnecting from modern society by using modern technology.

[Author]

Posts