I, Henry David Thoreau, have came upon your article that questions my beliefs of nature and my way of life. You have proclaimed statements that do not fit me so such as being sanctimonious, hypocritical, and misanthropic, and for those reasons, you think I should not be as admired as I am today. However, I disagree because my teachings and beliefs are all in the name of the divinity of nature. There is much more to this world than our materialistic values and complex lifestyle and if we were just able to open our eyes and look deep within, then you too shall be able to understand my teachings. You first accuse me of being sanctimonious, that I am superior and holier than everyone else in this world. “ ‘It seems as if I were more favored by the gods’...in possession of revealed truth and entitled to enlighten others. Thoreau, comfortable with that posture, sneered at those who were not” (7). It is true that I see myself as different from everyone else, but I am not as egotistical as you think I am. Claiming existence in the universe is not something to look down upon. Every person should be allowed to think for themselves, to follow their intuition, and seek what they think is right without the insight of others. Therefore, I refute your claim because “our reading, our conversation and thinking, are all very low level” (5). I mean this in a way that we constantly think and act from an influence of another human being. Our words and thoughts have no individuality in it;
Henry David Thoreau’s words that “disobedience is the true foundation of liberty” and that “the obedient must be slaves” is a political statement that never lost its topicality during the Romantic era. Thoreau is an important contributor to the philosophical and American literary movement known as New England Transcendentalism. Nature and the conduct of life are two central themes that are often weaved together in his essays and books that were published in the Romantic era of literature. Thoreau brought these two themes together to write on how people ought to live a simplistic life. His naturalistic writing intertwined cataloging and observation with Transcendentalist views of nature. Through his life and his work, Henry David Thoreau has contributed to American Literature since the Romantic era.
What is the overall message of Thoreau's "Solitude"? Consider the term epiphany, which is a moment of clarity and understanding. Is there such a moment in this essay? If so, what triggers it?
Ancient Greek Philosophers, such as Aristotle and Socrates, were renown for challenging societal norms and striving for individual achievement. Similarly, Henry David Thoreau endeavored to experience a fulfilling life, while also questioning the contemporary values of the nineteenth century. In 2015, Kathryn Schulz, a staff writer at The New Yorker, wrote “Pond Scum,” a fiery indictment against Thoreau and his novel Walden. Schulz uses her prodigious talent for wordplay and literary deconstruction to make her case that Thoreau was a hypocrite and a misanthrope. Yet, Schulz’s argument falls flat by focusing heavily on oversimplification. “Pond Scum” provides a fresh opportunity to replace the common idea of Thoreau as a wilderness hermit, with an image of a more complex and contradictory person to be admired. Thoreau should be praised for attempting to balance his transcendental beliefs with the joys of living, and finding a way to live a richer life.
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.
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.
A Comparison of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Beliefs concerning Simplicity, the Value and Potential of Our Soul, and Our Imagination.Henry David Thoreau tests Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ideas about nature by living at Walden Pond, where he discovers that simplicity in physical aspects brings deepness to our mind, our soul to its fullest potential, and our imagination to be uplifted to change our lives. These two men believe that nature is what forces us not to depend on others’ ideas but to develop our own. Nature is ever changing so we must keep searching for explanations about human life. They feel that nature is the key to knowing all.Thoreau lives at Walden Pond to find the true meaning of life. He wants to experience
After reading Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The American Scholar,” I can see many similarities between his ideas and the themes of Henry David Thoreau’s writings. Thoreau embodies Emerson’s idea of the American Scholar in several ways.
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” Henry David Thoreau stood behind the fact that all change is a miracle that happens in every instant. World travel has the potential to introduce an individual to the various miracles that life has to offer through aspects like culture, scenery, and language. In fact, there is a psychological concept that goes by the name of the “Big Five.” The number five refers to the five most dominant characteristics of personality: openness, extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness and agreeableness. Meeting new people and exposing oneself with new culture is one of is an activity that is one of the main contributors to the openness factor of personality which in turn has a domino effect on the remaining four characteristics (“5 Ways…”). That being said, by travelling the world an individual is able to become more adventurous and well rounded.
I, Henry David Thoreau, have found myself aggrieved upon your article, Pond Scum, that questions my beliefs of nature and my way of life. You have proclaimed statements that do not fit me so, such as being sanctimonious, hypocritical, and misanthropic; for those reasons, you think I should not be as admired as I am today. However, I refuse to subject to those claims because my teachings and beliefs are all in the name of the divinity of nature. There is much more to this world than our materialistic values and complex lifestyle, and if we were just able to open our eyes and look deep within, then you as well shall be able to understand my teachings.
As one of the most respected and honored writers in all of American literature, millions have idolized Henry David Thoreau for his transcendental ideologies seen throughout many of his works, such as “Walden”. However is this respect deserved? Thoreau critics describe him as a very conceited, hypocritical, and egotistical individual who had little respect or empathy for humanity. On the other hand, those in praise of Thoreau describe his writing as unparalleled in terms of detailed descriptions, observations, and understanding and explanation of deeper meanings. Through analysis of his writings and the expert opinions of others, evidence exists that Henry David Thoreau was an egotistical and hypocritical person while also one of the most
In her essay “Pond Scum”, Kathryn Schulz argues that Henry David Thoreau is an untrustworthy hypocrite in which plenty of his anecdotes were deceit. Although Kathryn uses many techniques, it is without a doubt that she best uses examples and fiery rhetoric to enhance her dispute.
A significant philosopher of the pre-Civil War era of the United States, Henry David Thoreau appeared to be above the standard with his philosophically driven life style. He wrote detailed accounts of his life in his book titled Walden, in which he expressed his desire to escape the confining pressures of human society. His second chapter lauded the concepts of individualism and self-sufficiency, yet he never took into account the potential harm of his mentality, for it could hurt individuals as well as communities, and modern life simply cannot support his ideals.
Henry David Thoreau's life began on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. At a young age he began to show an interest in writing. In 1833, at the age of sixteen, Thoreau was accepted to Harvard University. Although his parents could not afford the cost of tuition, his family offered to help with the funds, and in August he entered Harvard. In 1837 he graduated and applied for a teaching position at a public school in Concord. However, he refused to flog children as punishment. He choose instead to deliver moral lectures. The community looked down upon this, and a committee was asked to review the situation. They decided that the lectures were not ample punishment, so they ordered Thoreau to
In agreement with Thoreau, an anonymous author explains how human existence separates from its essence due to a preoccupation with financial prosperity. In the National Anti-Slavery Standard, an obscure anti-slavery newspaper from 1854, the author states, "The life exhibited... teaches us that this Western activity of which we are so proud, these material improvements, this commercial enterprise, this rapid accumulation of wealth, are very easily overrated" (8). Thoreau understands the harmful effects of modernization and relinquishes his responsibility to society in order to discover his connection with the natural world, and shows us how to achieve the same through his
Transcendentalist has a handful of principals from self-reliance to the thought of technology is harmful.The main tenet throughout the paper will focus on the importance of nature. Transcendentalist views nature as a gateway to the spiritual world, a way to the Omnipower. Henry David Thoreau immersed himself into nature fully “The morning wind forever blows, the poem of creation is uninterrupted; but few are the ears that hear it”(Thoreau II). Thoreau reveals how he has taken the time to observe nature to its fullest extent. He saw nature as a neighbor who was to be respected just as a man would treat another. Ralph Waldo Emerson a great transcendentalist, a mentor to Thoreau. Emerson’s point of view of nature showed how men and nature can become one to uplift themselves from the worldly shackles. Thoreau and Emerson both had a concept that nature was essentials to mankind, one sought out to respect it and the other viewed as a form of release.Nature is important to transcendentalism because it leads to spiritual connection and harmonization.