[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

(I really disliked my previous post and it was too late to edit, so I will just post again. I will contradict almost everything I have said beforehand.)

In “Conclusion”, Walden finds ” if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours” . Many people have said that his philosophies did not click in the end, but as he said in economy, these passages would all apply to people in different ways. One should not try to make it apply to themselves. So, simply put, his experiments were all relative to him but would be taken differently depending on who read the book. In my experiment, he delved into the subject of simplicity and purity. He finds after his experiment that “as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness“. He truly understands the meaning of transcendentalism after taking refuge in the woods because he is one with nature, he is individualized, etc. Walden has understood himself, therefore understanding his place in the world.

To be perfectly honest, “simplicity, simplicity, simplicity” is not my preferred lifestyle. I understand where Thoreau is coming from, in regards to transcendentalism, however the simplest I can get is an iPhone 4/s. I like my social media. I went through a phase last year where I wanted to test how long I could go without it (almost 2 months was the end result) and I was completely miserable. I enjoy being a part of people’s lives in a way that Thoreau couldn’t, while also doing things to enrich my own life. I enjoy photography and I love going on to ‘Instagram’ or ‘Tumblr’ to get inspiration. Thoreau stressed how solitude was important, but I feel like 5 years is too extreme. For my solitude, I prefer an hour or 2 of my phone being turned off while I drink tea and do something that I love. These small things that seem unnecessary to most people (such as apps, or any social media) bring me joy. They bring me mental sanity after being stressed out at school, or provide a sense of refuge after a long day at work. And in my eyes, maintaining healthy physically and emotionally is the most important thing I can do for myself, and the most important thing I should worry about. So, although Thoreau is a firm believer in solitude and simplicity in some run-down house in the woods, I prefer to sit in a cozy bed with my computer and Netflix.

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

In “Conclusion”, Walden finds ” if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours” He also finds after his experiment that “as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness“. He truly understands the meaning of transcendentalism after taking refuge in the woods because he is one with nature, he is individualized, etc. Walden has understood himself, therefore understanding his place in the world.

What I took away most from Thoreau was simplicity and purity. As he puts it, “The purity men love is like the mists which envelop the earth, and not like the azure ether beyond“. In today’s society,  keeping up with social media is a must for most high school students; everyone is always in everyone else’s business. In order to achieve transcendentalism as much as possible, Walden inspires me to remove social media for a while in order to just focus on my life instead of other people’s. This also applies to the “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity” aspect of Thoreau’s philosophy. I don’t need anything more than “food, fuel, clothing, and shelter”. Especially with Christmas and Thanksgiving and my birthday right around the corner, it is important for me to realize that material items are not a necessary that I need to focus on. I am a necessary. Maintaining healthy physically and emotionally is the most important thing I can do for myself, and the most important thing I should worry about.

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

In Thoreau’s “Brute Neighbors”, he witnesses a raging battle between the red ants and black ants that occupy his wood chips.  As he said, “It was evident that their battle-cry was Conquer or die” (12). It is clear to understand that these insects represent conflict between two parties. It seems that if everyone was to live as Thoreau has — regarding isolation and the ability to focus on one’s thoughts — there would be many more wars raging against others to fight for your beliefs. Much like Cassie pointed out, the ants live quite simply, which can in turn represent the way Thoreau is living. Simplicity is his way of life, however it comes with a price: when no one objects against one’s thoughts, it is easy to think the way a person thinks is always right. This belief becomes stronger over the course of time and leads to conflicts with others who disagree with the opinion.

The connection of the ants to wars is extremely significant because of the allusions that Thoreau focuses on in solitude. These wars represent the problems he has with society. It is also significant because we get a taste of his political views. The more dominant ant is the black and the lesser ant is the red which later turns to, “the red republicans on the one hand, and the black imperialists on the other” (12).

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

In Thoreau’s, “Higher Laws”, there is a debate brought about of how savoring food is a distraction to higher intellectual pursuits. This belief is quite contradictory to what nutritionists have to say because in order to benefit from food, one must savor. The olfactory from food aromas, which are more often than not found in the savoring of food, act as a stimulant to learning. Although Walden claims that ” It is not worth the while to live by rich cookery” (6), the olfactory in the human body, especially the retrosnal olfactor, is the “detection of an odorant when it is released from food in your mouth during chewing, exhalation, or swallowing” (ift.org). If one does not savor a food, the senses will not pick up the stimulant which will not help with learning. Although Thoreau tries to focus primarily on the bare necessaries of life in his seclusion, he does not realize the importance of “aromatherapy”. Learning is not simply eating food in order to focus on higher intellectual pursuits, but rather adding stimulants to the brain.

I like the point that Taylor Woehl made about the “matter of if we feed the worm, or if we feed ourselves (in feeding ourselves, we do not turn to gluttony).” I feel like it was a great perspective and very well supported.

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

In “The Bean Field”, Thoreau has the reader “consider the intimate and curious acquaintance one makes with various kinds of <span class=”do-not-break”>weeds” (20). As a farmer, Thoreau knows his crops inside and out, which he seems to think is necessary of such a job. Much like in economy, Thoreau relates the green beans to the necessaries of life because it will still give someone food and fuel to live. These green beans are not just a way for him to pass time because “idling hands” are a terrible thing to have, but rather provide a sense of satisfaction and completion. </span>

This experiment however, provides a look into his social beliefs. Those that work hard to provide for the well-being of others will obtain more value and more appreciation with the time and effort put into the crop. Those who work solely for the money will not be appreciated as much and won’t produce as good a crop.

 

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

Hunter,

I like your correlation of religion with the pond. I did not think of it that way and its a great idea {Barleuh}. I think you did a great job backing up the points you made, and it was presented in a great way.

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

Walden Pond acts as a place of solitude for Thoreau in the chapter, “Ponds”. On the pond he allows himself the pleasure of enjoying the scenery that surrounded him. One major symbol of the pond is the clearness of the water and how it acts as a reverse-Potemkin Village of sorts — in the sense that a persons first impression of the pond isn’t what it has to offer. At first glance, the pond seems that “The water of our river is black or a very dark brown to one looking directly down on it, and, like that of most ponds, imparts to the body of one bathing in it a yellowish tinge” (22). If one however chose to look more in depth, they would find “this water is of such crystalline purity” (22). This can be taken as symbolic of how people are perceived. Most persons see the outside of someone and immediately judge them based on looks or how they hold themselves. But, as Thoreau states, “a single glass of its water held up to the light is as colorless as an equal quantity of air” (22).

The pond is very significant because “These experiences were very memorable and valuable to [him]” (22). As someone who only focuses on the necessaries of life and the simplicity of nature, Thoreau seems to appreciate the the time spent on the pond for, “Many a forenoon have I stolen away, preferring to spend thus the most valued part of the day; for I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days” (23).

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

Amanda,

I really enjoy the quote you provided because it truly captures everything Thoreau was trying to say. The “ride thirty miles an hour” reminds me of when he said, “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.” meaning its best to slow down.

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

In “Where I Lived and What I Lived For” Thoreau makes note of how materialism is such a significant aspect of the way Americans live, despite how simple it would be to focus on spiritual reality. As Thoreau said, ” Every man is tasked to make his life, even in its details, worthy of the contemplation of his most elevated and critical hour” (12). Thoreau insinuates that Americans suffer from taking non-spiritual ideas and focusing too much on them “When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, — that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of the reality” (12).

 

In 2014, there is still a preference for material things over spiritual reality. This is because material items seem like “necessaries” as opposed to just the basic needs. In today’s society, it is rooted that expensive material objects are the way to live. Rather than waking up every morning to “equal simplicity”, Americans focus on outdoing their neighbors. Rather than focusing on the “necessaries” of food, clothing, shelter, and fuel, we focus on the “essentials” of material objects.

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

Noah,

I think you brought up a good point about Walden living in simplicity (simplicity, simplicity). I agree Walden thought highly of living with the bare necessaries over “living too fast”.

Alexa,

I completely agree with your point of how “His priority seems to be himself;”. He does not seem to care what his neighbors would think of the farm, only what kind of neighbors he has (which seem to rabbits).

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

Note: The page numbers are all referring to the online text.

In “Where I lived and What I lived For”, Thoreau discusses the Hollowell farm that he was close to “actual possession”. He finds joy in the fact that his “retirement” would be ” complete retirement, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, and separated from the highway by a broad field” (11)”. The farm, with its “gray color and ruinous state” (11) proved to be acceptable to him, but would seem unattractive to most real-estate buyers. He even enjoyed “the hollow and lichen-covered apple trees, gnawed by rabbits” (11). Walden did not seem fazed by the idea of seeming good enough to his neighbors. He simply wanted to be able to farm, in order to maintain the qualities of necessity. Food, fuel, clothing, and shelter are much more important to him than having a house that looks good for a neighbor.

[Taylor “Pineapple” Moss]

 

In Thoreau’s chapter “Economy”, he discusses the “necessaries”, which are limited to: “fuel (food and water) shelter, and clothing”. As Noah mentioned, “He claims that these gains ‘[have] been from the first, or from long use has become, so important to human life that few, if any, whether from savageness, or poverty, or philosophy, ever attempt to do without it‘.” Everything else after the necessaries are just unneeded.

It seems that Thoreau offers the idea that living as a “savage” is easier than living civilized and superfluously. Much like Max pointed out, “civilized people are always working towards luxuries, not necessities.” This results in a constant cycle of spending time, money, and energy on unnecessary things, such as palaces over wigwams, cars over bicycles, etc. In today’s economy, capitalism is the main thing separating everyone and the way they live.

I slightly disagree with Catherine’s point of “it is every humans natural instinct to obtain luxuries instead of growing with the basic necessities in life”. I don’t believe its a natural instinct that is the root of civilization, but one imbedding from society. Natural instinct is applied towards the necessaries, not towards the vanities. Vanity is rooted from the wanting of being better than other people because society has made that apparent.

When one obtains the “necessaries” they are sufficed until they see someone have it better. This leads to people growing to, as Max said, work towards luxuries. This is a perfect example of capitalism and how the class system works. Once people get what others have, someone else gets another unessential item that starts another trend. It is the endless cycle of society causing people to think that the objects they want are the objects they need.

Thoreau believes that the next step would be to live like a savage rather than falling into a never-ending class cycle. Rather than competing with society, he implies it would be best to take refuge apart from everyone, in order to obtain “the pursuit of happiness” (John Locke).

-Taylor Moss

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