[Kaela Wilkins]

After residing at Walden Pond for many years, Walden reveals what he learned. Thoreau learned the principles of self reliance, indiviualism, and a connection to nature;  relating to transcedentalism.  He was able to find himself in nature and have an escape for his thoughts. As well as this, he understood the meaning and reasoning for life. He was able to extract everything single thought of his and everything that happened in life and why it happened for a reason and interpreted in his own eyes.

After reading this section from Thoreau, I have learned many things that I can bring into my life. The idea of a connection with nature is the most bursting I took from this reading. I now truly understand that one needs to be alone in nature and have a sense of solidity to be able to try understand my life and thoughts. It is definitely okay to have conformity in a way but at the same time, a person needs somewhere they can escape to for a peace of mind. Speaking of connection with nature, his philosophy of transcendentalism has brought a light upon many things in my life. The aspect of trying to understand myself before trying to understand the words is fantastic.  The idea of this was very eye opening and realization struck that this is true. Someone needs to be able have a full concept of their life to truly be able to interpret the world.

 

[Kaela Wilkins]

In “The Bean Field” Thoreau talks about how He became a farmer to better himself and establish a sense of self discipline. He enjoyed the work itself and truly thought it was a posted experience for himself as a man to go through. While in “Economy “, He described the work as grueling and painstakingly tedious and has to be done as a task. While on the other hand, despite even getting money and things out of the job at hand, Thoreau did not care and only wanted to get great experience of the whole situation.

[Kaela Wilkins]

In response to Tom, I did not think of Thoreau liking the pond for It’s cleanliness.  Yet, this is true and I agree with it due to the fact of his many points before of speaking about how clean things were in his surroundings and life. It’s believable that he would want to get away to a clean escape to a place where he could be able to have his mind and thoughts free.

 

[Kaela Wilkins]

In “The Ponds”, Thoreau discusses the purity and escape of the pond itself. His continuation of speaking about the clearity of the water is almost seem as when He is surrounded by nature,  everything is so much clearer. Relating back to the point He has excessively displayed that only the simplest things are needed. To keep a clear hear, one only needs an escape, as the pond was for him. While speaking of how the pond has it’s “depth and purity ” (Walden 247), Walden makes the reader understand that nature is the best escape for one to have a clear mind and thoughts.

[Kaela Wilkins]

I’m response to Julia, I am very intrigued that Thoreau may even take this solitude as a way of an escape. Thinking about it, It’s more understandable in a sense because as I had spoken of earlier, It’s an escape from all the distractions going on and gives someone a chance to dwell on life itself. Thoreau proves that while you may not be ecstatic with how the situation is, you can live and feel content in a life that makes you happy enough to stay there. Being content is life in his opinion is truly based on being able to have an escape to think.

[Kaela Wilkins]

Solitude is so important to Thoreau because all though this section, He believes that one should be alone with their thoughts and life as they live on. He believes the would outside has “infinite and accountable friendliness” (213). One can see that Thoreau believes that as a man is alone, you can see the beauty all around you and understand things more. Being in seclusion, a person can take note of more things in how they act, how life is, and the way to live. If you ignore all the distractions in life, you can evolve into a much greater and attentive human being in his opinion.

-Kaela

[Kaela Wilkins]

In response to Katie’s statement about how Thoreau only truly wants to be in solitude,  I agree. The use of comparing him to how others would find the location unappealing is excellent.  I didn’t even think to compare of how while another human being could not think to stay in a place so torn down, Thoreau did not mind. Simply due to the fact He was okay with being in solitude with his thoughts and life.

-Kaela

 

[Kaela Wilkins]

In Thoreau’s “Where I lived” and “What I live for, Thoreau discusses the Howell Farm. Despite it being a washed gray color and in a “ruinous state”, Thoreau takes this opportunity to stay in it, despite the misfortune of the house. This portrays Thoreau’s point in the earlier chapter “Economy ” that one does not need extravagant things to survive. Only the simplest things are needed to live a full life. Even with shelter being one of the necessities in life, Thoreau only either proves that the care necessity is what a human being needs to fulfill their life.

-Kaela

[Kaela Wilkins]

I agree with Katie on the fact that one does not need certain luxuries to be able to reach full potential as a person. As one may want certain things to be able to complete a task in life, it isn’t truly necessary. A person only truly needs the most simple things in life to efficiently and successfully be able to become whole as a human being. Thoreau clearly goes in depth on the topic of how anything other than the four necessities he named would only stand in the way of life fulfillment.

[Kaela Wilkins]

In “Economy “, as everyone else before me has mentioned, Thoreau discusses the necessities of life and determined the main four ones are ” Food, Shelter, Clothing ,and Fuel “(120). Despite being the four ” necessities” needed to survive, there were boundaries. We as humans only needed the minimum that nature and the world could provide to us.  As Shelby and Cassie mentioned before me, one does not need a large house or even clothing for a matter of fact for quite a while. Food, on the otherhand, is most definitely need it to survive. Many can agree on the subject that anything else in life that one sees as a desire is only something that stands in the way of true success. To live a simple and non selfish lifestyle in Thoreau’s eyes was the way to live a fufilled life.

-Kaela Wilkins

[Author]

Posts