A Wondering Ideal in "Walden" Essay

Thoreau implies that if one is to live happily they must let go of all their obligations and responsibilities in favor of a simple life. For the most part, his suggestions are for one’s own happiness instead of others’ happiness. He does not take into account if the “accounts” that people have are for others instead of themselves. Thoreau assumes that everyone is living a life where they have no dependents and all the obligations they have taken upon themselves are for their own

Thoreau was very doubtful of the ideas that outward improvements could bring improvements to one's inner peace. One clear illustration of Thoreau's resistance to progress can be found in the chapter, "Sounds," where he voiced his criticism on technological advancements. At first he was annoyed with the sound created by the passing trains which hindered his ability to hear the chirping of the birds. As he stated, " The whistle of the locomotive penetrates my woods summer and winter, sounding like the scream of a hawk sailing over some farmer's yard, informing me that many restless city merchants are arriving within the circle of the town..."(78). Trains also reminded him of the businessman and tradesman involved in manipulation and profits. Thoreau believed that a technological advancement such as the train would give people a false impression of heightened freedom, for trains were able to travel to areas never before imagined and in a time that was thought impossible. He was worried that people would prefer to take the train than "the road less traveled." By taking trains, people missed out on the beauty of nature. Then he realized that the trains had transported people to many different areas and that it had enabled the people to experience new things.

The essay by Henry David Thoreau, “Where I lived and What I Lived For” tells Thoreau beliefs of how society should live. He asks deep questions such as, “Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life?” to encourage the reader to contemplate their lives and values. He said, “Our life is frittered away by detail.” and goes on to emphasize the value of, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” Thoreau states simplicity and self sufficiency are virtues society should live by; however, they potentially jeopardize the community and are consequently not viable today.

Also in from Where I Lived and What I Lived For one can find how Thoreau shows his appreciation for the wisdom of the past and a dislike for progress. In his last couple phrases he describes the railroads, which can be seen as a symbol for technology or advancement, these he talks about with great antipathy as he implies that no outward improvement will bring the inner peace and contentment that men seek. He suggests that the freedom that railroads are thought to represent truly bring about a type of servitude in the respect that one must conform to the train’s schedules and routes. In conclusion he states, “We do not ride the railroad, it rides upon us.”

He has deeper thoughts. Like Emerson, Thoreau also wanted to live a simple life, in order to find deeper meaning in life.

One of Thoreau’s famous quotes is, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” This means to make ones’ life as simple as possible. He thinks that the poor are the fortunate ones since they have the least to look after and worry about while the rich have so much to look after that they do not have time for themselves. Living a simple life enables one to be free of commitment and obligations. One only has to worry about one’s self.

1. “For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, where it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.” P.383 What is the “it” that Thoreau is referring to when he says people are in a strange uncertainty about “it” AND what does the rest of the quote in mean?

     Henry David Thoreau was man of simplicity, and if he were to experience life in Cary, he would not only be surprised, but disappointed in humanity itself. Thoreau believed in the necessities of life, nothing more, and the people of Cary live lives exactly the opposite. Cary residents live lives of material possessions, business, and over-complexity. These traits of society are precisely opposite of Thoreau’s

Industriousness was heralded as a strong and virtuous quality in a man. 'Idle hands do the Devil's work' was a favorite saying of the hard working people at the time. Yet Thoreau saw this logic as flawed and actually an abomination of society. He stressed that one could be ascetic without being lazy. Reasonable necessity, not fashion, was the most important to Thoreau. Understanding the difference between what we want done and what must be done is a tremendous first step in Thoreau's mind. And this confronting our own

To begin, the main points of Thoreau’s essay must be analysed. Thoreau began by advocating a life that is simple and slow. This is summarized by the phrase from his book, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand.” A philosophy such as this may be appealing, especially when one is overwhelmed by the problems presented by society. However, maintaining this simplicity in a community context requires ignorance of the needs and wants of other people. Many of society’s complicated demands, such as tax payment and jury duty, are necessary for the betterment of other citizen’s lives. In his essay, Thoreau dismissed the importance of community problems by claiming that they were a complete illusion, adding, “Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousands stitches today to save nine tomorrow. As for work, we haven’t any of any

In Thoreau’s Walden Essay, there is a constant motif of luxuries. The concept that living a materialistic life is not rewarding. A highly quotable phrase is seen on page 999 “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowed on a velvet cushion.” This contrast statement shows that Thoreau would rather live a simple life than waste expenses on luxuries.

He believes that life is at its best when simple. I disagree- in my opinion life is best experienced in a nuanced fashion; shades of grey rather than black and white. Thoreau characterizes simplicity as the key to happiness, but what would life be like if happiness was the sole emotion? PArt of what makes life worth living is the varied experiences that come with the package. Yes, struggle is part of that package

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.” Here he is trying to show that the American individual should live simply. He gives examples that include eating less everyday and this shows that his views on the American individual are very basic. Thoreau uses much evidence from his works “Civil Disobedience” and “Walden” to give a description of what he thinks the American individual should

He wants to express how simplicity in life is crucial in growing as a person in knowledge. This is evident in his writing of “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, discover that I had not lived.” Like Dickinson, Thoreau expresses the value of living a natural way of life in which all humans were intended to live in this statement: “A field of water betrays the spirit that is in the air. It is continually receiving new life and motion from above. It is intermediate between land and sky.”

It is clever step to live this life as simple as your great will can let you. Thoreau, in his work called ''Walden'', particularly in the paragraphs 18 and 19 emphasizes the most vital elements of life, which are not only the material payoffs, rather the inside calmness of every individual accompanied with the combination of wise and simple viewpoints toward personal life with necessary elements included in it.