[Katie Bolen]

In “Conclusion” Thoreau reflects and reviews over everything he learned during his 5 year stay at Walden Pond. He learned that solitude can be good for you; because only in solitude can you truly find yourself, and only then will you be able to know what your heart wants and what your biggest dreams are. While at Walden Pond Thoreau learned to follow his heart and his dreams, and he knew that with this new knowledge he would be able to go forth with his life with a new point of view on how he should live. He learned a lot about his own inner strength and self-reliance, as well as the deep bond that he formed with nature. He found solitude and comfort in nature, and he learned that nature is a blessing to us, not a burden as so many see it today. Thoreau based his life on four basic necessities, and in doing so learned how to simplify his life. He did away with the excess luxuries of life and in doing so found that the laws of the universe became less complex to him.

I have never read a philosophy book before, but while reading Walden I learned a lot about how leading a simple life might not actually be so bad. I enjoy the luxuries that we have today, like cell phones, computers, etc., but I believe we might make them a lot more vital to our lives than they need to be. I learned from this book that you can find happiness in the simple things that surround you every day. For example, nature. It is all around us, and we seem to take that for granted the majority of the time. But nature is really beautiful and we should probably learn to appreciate that more; and with the way Thoreau described the peace he found while surrounded by nature, I will probably try to incorporate more nature into my life, and worry less about the luxuries of life. I’m not saying I will completely rid myself of them, but I will place the same amount of emphasis on the natural things around me that can bring me just as much happiness.

[Katie Bolen]

In “Brute Neighbors” Thoreau is watching a war between a group of red ants and a group of black ants. He observes many characteristics of the ants while watching, the main one being that neither side was willing to surrender. Both sides were merciless; tearing away at each other, putting their life on the line for their brothers. The ants lead a very simplistic life in which all they know is that you have to fight for what you want, and in every battle one group will lose and one will win. Thoreau admires the way the ants live, and makes a connection to us humans. I find that the ants symbolize people in their lowest, most animalistic state; the one controlled simply by natural instincts. If everybody was to live as simple as Thoreau does, we would inevitably end up like the ants. Also in this passage, Thoreau makes many historical connections between the ants and historical figures such as Achellies, as well as with important battles like Concord. I believe this serves to further show the connection and similarities between people and ants. He wants to give the ants human characteristics that are shared with soldiers and great warriors, to show that if we lived simple enough we would end up like the ants.

I like the way Taylor compared the ants’ battle for the chip to the American fight for independence. That was a great connection that further extended the point that us humans are not unlike ants in as many ways as we might think.

[Katie Bolen]

In “Higher Laws” Thoreau discusses his point of view that food should only be consumed for the purpose of staying alive, thus meaning that food should be a simple, straightforward experience and any excess, savory flavors are unnecessary. He claims that savoring deliciousness distracts from higher intellectual pursuits. I somewhat agree with Thoreau, on the point that food should be consumed to keep ourselves healthy and alive; and sometimes people do focus too much on extra sauces and spices to make food more flavorful. Sometimes food in it’s simplest form is just as delicious as more savory foods. However, I disagree with his argument that savory foods distract from higher intellectual pursuits. I have not found that if food is cooked to make it a flavorful, savory experience that it distracts me from being able to move forward intellectually.

I agree with Noah’s point that some of Thoreau’s ideas on food and nutrition are a little outdated. As Noah said fish has now been identified as a great brain food, and there are many ways to eat healthy with a balanced diet and still have your food taste good. I found that to be a great point.

[Katie Bolen]

In “The Bean Field” Thoreau is differentiating between the farming work that he is doing, and the farming that those around him are doing. The difference is that other farmers are doing this for monetary gain, so it is somewhat of an obligation because it is their only source of income. As for Thoreau, he is doing this work by choice. He is contradicting himself a bit because of what he said in “Economy” about his dislike of farmers and how they basically belong in jail. However, he does make his case by saying that he is not doing this work for money; he is doing it to make himself a better person. He wants the self-discipline that comes from manual labor. He farms the beans with no help from anyone, not even horses. He is in complete solitude, which shows that he really is doing this farming only to see what moral gain he will receive from it. He is doing this work to build not character, not to gain money, and that is the difference between Thoreau and the farmers that surround him.

[Katie Bolen]

In “The Ponds” Thoreau really focuses on the crystal clear water of the pond. I perceive this to be a symbol of purity. We already know from past chapters that Thoreau is content with only the necessities of life, and he enjoys the serenity of nature. It seems to me that he finds the purity of the pond to be comforting, an escape for him. There is nothing that tarnishes the pond in his mind, it is a sort of “heaven on earth” for him. He speaks of how he would go fishing at the pond late at night after a long day in the village, and this only serves to further show how much he prefers nature over people. The purity of the pond is something Thoreau enjoys because it allows him to be carefree and just enjoy the nature around him, which is a sharp contrast to when he must interact with other people.

In response to Taylor Moss, I really liked your connection with what Thoreau says being symbolic of how people are perceived. I hadn’t realized that at first, but now that you have pointed it out and supported it so well; it makes a lot more sense to me. I thought that was a very interesting way of interpreting the chapter.

[Katie Bolen]

In “Sounds” Thoreau is anthropomorphizing to bring out human qualities in the animals that surround him. He compares the birds’ songs to music and describes it as “melancholy” and “foreboding” and that it reflects the “dark and tearful side of music”. He finds human qualities in all the nature that surrounds him, and he is doing it to replace the lack of actual human contact and socialization in his life. While he enjoys living in isolation left alone with nature and his thoughts, he is going to get lonely at some point. To fill the void that he feels because of this loneliness, he personifies the nature around him to feel some sort of comfort. This shows the huge impact that nature has on Thoreau’s life as a whole.

In response to Jennifer, I agree with your statement that Thoreau has made the nature his friend, and he personifies it to make it seem more realistic. He uses this method to bring some more meaning into his life, as well as to escape his thoughts like you said.

-Katie Bolen

[Katie Bolen]

In “Where I Lived and What I Lived For” Thoreau tells the story of how he almost bought the Hollowell Farm. While most people would have found its remote location completely secluded from neighbors and the busy village unappealing, Thoreau loved the idea. He liked the idea of being isolated, by himself surrounded by nature. Thoreau was clearly not one for a ton of social interaction, he believed that people relied too much on materialistic things. His priorities were clearly much less materialistic than most other people’s, and this was shown by his attraction to Hallowell Farm. While most people would have been repulsed by the lack of stores and neighbors, Thoreau was drawn to it. The difference in priorities is very evident.

In response to Noah, I agree completely with your analysis of Thoreau prioritizing simplicity over the unnecessary luxuries others relied on. You pointed out very well Thoreau’s opinion on how others “lived too fast”, and his prioritizing of only the basic necessities defines Thoreau as a person.

-Katie Bolen

[Katie Bolen]

Thoreau states in Economy that there are four basic necessities in life and they are: food, fuel, shelter, and clothing. Food and fuel make sense because without them we simply wouldn’t be able to survive. However, I agree with Shelby on her opinion of clothing. Though it may seem like it in this day and age, clothing wasn’t always a necessity for survival. People survived without it for many, many years; this necessity has clearly changed as society has changed. I also agree with Taylor on what she said about shelter. As our world has become more industrialized, shelter has become more of a necessity for survival.But there is evidence of people surviving without it in worse conditions than we have to brave.

After one obtains these necessities, Thoreau says that they may then entertain the real problems of life. Meaning, that once you are able to survive, you can then do more things for your own personal enjoyment such as learn, make art, anything that interests you. After you have obtained the necessaries of life, you can grow as a person. You do not need luxuries to be able to reach your full potential as a person.

-Katie Bolen

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