Analyzing Henry David Thoreau's 'Woodchuck'

Henry Thoreau and Chris McCandless seem very similar. At a first glance when you hear their stories they sound pretty much like the same people in different time periods. Both left normal lives to live off the land and both loved that lifestyle to death. Chris even took inspiration from thoreau and took his book, Walden, into the Alaskan bush with him. However, McCandless and Thoreau are very different in their desire to move, social interactions, and their spiritual journeys.

In Walden, Henry D. Thoreau presented a radical and controversial perspective on society that was far beyond its time. In a period where growth both economically and territorially was seen as necessary for the development of a premature country, Thoreau felt the opposite. Thoreau was a man in search of growth within himself and was not concerned with outward improvements in him or society. In the chapter entitled "economy," he argued that people were too occupied with work to truly appreciate what life has to offer. He felt the root of this obsession with work was created through the misconstrued perception that material needs were a necessity, rather than a hindrance to true happiness and the

The excerpt Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, is a piece that explores the purpose of life, especially if it isn 't lived to the fullest. Thoreau starts by sharing the meaning and value of life. His idea of his personal achievement was to live life and die with a sense of peace and knowledge that he did not waste a single moment. He wanted to live life while being true to himself regardless of whether he would find life to be cruel or a wonderful place, and this was a risk he was willing to take. In a modern sense we are intrigued by technology. Although those in favor of technology may say that the new devices and applications do not affect human interaction and our way of living we are, are unable to see that, even in a room filled with people, there is an isolation barrier and an inability to live life to the fullest.

The epigraph in this chapter was a passage from Henry David Thoreau 's “Life in the Woods”. In the excerpt, it explains how phenomenal nature is and how majority of people never take advantage of exploring it and discovering new things. Instead, they continue to live life the way its most accepted in society, “All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality... The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening”. McCandless meets Ronald

The concept of social justice, and the environment have always been under great threat. However is it possible to mend the two, combine them together, in order to create an equal atmosphere and a sustainable society? The majority of the population have always wanted to prevent the minority in gaining their rights in fear of losing their power, and the nature conquerors have disregarded the wilderness’ needs in fear of losing their profit. Environmental activists and advocates have sought to bridge the gap between the complicated and divisive relationship between the natural world and the advancing technological world. Rebecca Solnit, Wendell Berry, and John Muir all recognize the explicit relationship between social justice and the respect for the natural world.

Henry David Thoreau, born in 1817, is the author of Civil Disobedience, an essay the highlights the importance of individualism and maintaining autonomy within a society that strongly favor majority rule. In 2017, especially within the past election, this is of major significance. In his essay, Thoreau focusses on many ideas, some of the most prevalent being, standing up for what one believes is wrong, no matter the consequences, along with the idea that with the right leaders government can work.

To Henry David Thoreau, nature serves as a reminder to take a break from the fast paced style of life. Thoreau is a transcendentalist writer who isolated himself from society to live a life at his own pace. The title of his work, Where I Lived and What I Lived For, presents the purpose of his writing. Thoreau expresses where he resided and his reasoning for living there. He successfully achieves his purpose through the use of aphorisms and paradox. He begins his essay with direct and simple vocabulary that clearly states his purpose. He “went to the woods” in order “to front only the essential facts of life”. His destination and intentions are clear. His diction represent his way of thought where details are not needed. His use of aphorisms

An American Author, Transcendentalist and tax resister, Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord Massachusetts, and lived there most of his life.  He was opposed to many of the things that went on in our society and debated many issues in his life. Two of these major issues are , the Mexican American War and the implement of Slavery in our society. This was the reason for many of his writings include “Slavery in Massachusetts” and “Civil Disobedience” where he wrote about his principles and views against the U.S government and their involvement in the Mexican American War and the evil of Slavery. Thoreau opposed to these because they promote unjust government practices which he was strongly against.

The true meaning of life. What, exactly, can objectively define a life well lived? Henry David Thoreau, a unique and prosperous man with the dedication to reject societal norms he disagreed with, believed his life of simplicity was the answer. His actions led to a life of content happiness, and he is seemingly worshipped for his literature concerning these actions. While he clearly knew how to make himself at peace, Thoreau has proven himself downright atrocious at convincing others to do the same. His allusions, which according to many literary experts are one of his writings’ most prominent features, often are convoluted and irrelevant. In some cases, his usage of rhetoric is actually counterproductive, instantly turning off the audience to his thoughts and ideals. Thoreau, through his use of forced rhetorical

This political cartoon ties into my theme since it shows how the man is stressing over the news and thoughts and how he must relieve himself from it all. Not only that, but it also ties into the passage Why I Went to the Woods by Henry David Thoreau. This can be proven as it is seen in the passage when the author says that the character would mine and burrow their way through the hills in front of them. With this being a metaphor, the author uses figurative language as he explains how the character in the passage is trying to get away from all of their bad thoughts, trying to leave all of his stress behind but the stress just continues to pile up, just like a hill. This also ties in with my Theme and my political cartoon since they all show

     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

The chapter entitled “Conclusion” is a fitting and compelling final chapter to Thoreau’s Walden. Throughout Walden, Thoreau delves into his surroundings, the very specifics of nature, and what he was thinking about, without employing any metaphors and including none of his poignant aphorisms. However, placed among these at-times tedious sections, come spectacular and wholly enjoyable interludes of great and profound thought from a writer that has become extremely popular in modern America. His growth of popularity over such contemporary favorites as Emerson in our modern era stems from the fact that Thoreau calls for an “ideological revolution to simplification” in our lives. This

Thoreau's essay "The Succession of Forest Trees” is an answer to how oak trees sprout after a pine tree is cut down. Thoreau utilizes his personal experiences relating to squirrels and oak trees to support that pine and oak trees have a commensal relationship. However, the portion where Thoreau mentions beach plums seems irrelevant to the rest of Thoreau’s argument. Beach plums have nothing to do with how oak trees grow after a pine tree is chopped down. In the essay, beach plums might serve as a nonexample of a seed that was inactive for a prolonged period deep in the interior of Maine and then sprouted on the sand.

The middle bunny of five, Beaumont has grown used to going unnoticed. He's not a leader like Barclay or Basil, he's not blind like Bailey, and he's not snarky like Baxter. He's invisible. He dreams of finding a mate that truly sees him. When a stranger with piercing black eyes arrives at the mansion, his world is turned upside down, and Beau has to decide if being seen is all he dreamed it would be.

The Journey from Enslavement to Freedom, from Society to Nature: A Cross-Examination of Themes in Thoreau’s Walden and “Slavery in Massachusetts”