Thoreau's Views On Technology And A Materialistic Age

In many English literature classes, large amounts of time are spent reading classic books while interpreting the meaning of symbols and literary devices along the way. Being able to depict deeper meaning of Thoreau’s writing can reflect his views of human nature and society. In addition, readers understand the culture and environment in which Thoreau was brought up in. Not to mention, analyzing literature encourages individuals to think more critically about their own culture and society. Furthermore, the reader can better understand the events of a former movement through the literature produced during that time. With this being said, setting provides the historical and cultural context for characters. Equally important, it often symbolizes the emotional state of characters, especially in Thoreau’s writing, Walden.

The audience that Thoreau is initially writing for would be the people around the area that questioned the way that he lived, but at a broader sense it would be for everyone that is defined by society. Thoreau mentioned how farmers who should be blessed by working with nature are actually burdened to work for society. He made the observation that farmers were not working to sustain themselves but to sustain society in that society relied on the farmers crops. “I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of. Better if they had been born in the open pasture and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in. Who made them serfs of the soil?” (p.2).Farmers would be better off farming for themselves but they can not because the land they farm on might be government owned.The way Thoreau lived was not completely work free. He had a few jobs while living in the woods such as a farm hand. He calculated that he would only need to work six weeks out of the whole year to have enough money for what he spends on the whole year. Many people work all year and do not seemed to be satisfied with their belongings or their status in life.

"Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn," (Thoreau, 1849, Part 2, Section 5). Henry David Thoreau embodied the values he espoused in his essay "Civil Disobedience." One of the most meaningful ways Thoreau helped to promote the idea that being a counter friction can "stop the machine" was by his writing. Thoreau used his writing to promote social justice, thereby refusing to "lend himself to the wrong" he so disparages. Slavery was one of those wrongs: a facet of the system of government that was so corrupt and yet completely entrenched in American society. Thoreau also acted as a counter friction to the machine of mindless government by extricating himself from the situations he found most distasteful. His experiences living close to nature at Walden Pond prove that Thoreau was sincerely dedicated to being the change that he advocated in his life.

In life one might often focus on ideas and concepts that do not matter. A false perception is created, and the individual forgets what truly matters to him. To say that “Our life is frittered away by detail” is an understatement (218). Henry David Thoreau’s literature from Walden clearly illustrates how one’s life can not only be frittered away by detail but rather almost destroyed.

Thoreau proposed to live as simply as possible and determine what he needed for basic human survival. "My greatest skill is to want but little." He grew his own food, cleaned his own cabin, and often arranged his affairs so he had to work as little as possible. Published on August 9, 1854, Walden sold two thousand copies. For one dollar, people read into the depths of Thoreau’s life at Walden Pond and all his views on everything from the anti-slavery movement to his environmental ideas. Walden sold moderately well during Thoreau’s lifetime, but his greatest respects came posthumously.Through the reading of Walden, many people have discovered the magic of Henry David Thoreau’s pen. Just a man from Concord, Massachusetts, he lived an extraordinary life as a simple man. That, however, was all

Today, many people often consume themselves in the lives of others rather than focusing on their own paths. People are quick to settle for other’s opinions or beliefs, however Henry David Thoreau is someone who extensively advocated for the power of one’s own thoughts. Within the last chapter of his book Walden Thoreau states, “If a man does not keep pace with his companion, perhaps it is because hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” This quote highlights how people should take pride in their own values rather than molding to those surrounding us. Like Henry David Thoreau once believed, it is important that people should listen to their own thoughts and goals rather than conforming

Henry David Thoreau believed that his fellow men were losing their individuality due to working and that it left the individual with "no time to be anything but a machine" (Thoreau). A man often chooses undesired work to acquire a possession. Thoreau saw materialistic things as a misfortunes “that are more easily acquired than got rid of”’ (Thoreau). Thoreau practiced his these ideals when he

He thinks a once driven society has been destroyed by industrial innovation allowing for non-necessities to be common place. To him, these items serve as distractions to the utmost priorities in life, and society will continue to head astray unless certain conditions are met that force the layman to revert to a simpler lifestyle. He further backed up this philosophy with a questioning of the need for progress and an economy in general. Thoreau, just after delivering his testament to the fact that we should live with simplicity then attempts to explain why. In doing so, his bias is further established. Thoreau declares, “Men think that it is essential that the Nation have commerce, and export ice, and talk through the telegraph, and ride thirty miles an hour, without a doubt, whether they do or not; but whether we should live like baboons or like men, is a little uncertain” (Thoreau 86-87). Members of society believe that in order to thrive, there needs to be steady consumption. They need to be able to ride quickly on trains and communicate quickly and have many other materialistic needs. Thoreau concurs that we are living like unintelligent creates who think what is not is essential is. Society is convinced they are needed, but human-kind has lived without them before and have been fine. He thinks, this possesion of new modern technology needs to be decreased in order to achieve the beauty from simplicity. However, he

Two prominent ideas are imbedded in Thoreau's work, the concept of living deliberately, and how he wished to escape the route of conformity. The two ideas mentioned in the essay can be related to the period before Chris Mccandless commenced his journey, showing the conformist life he lived before his deliberate one. Both Thoreau and Mccandless obtained a sickening view of the average

Although neither John Field’s nor Thoreau’s lifestyles and ideologies fall entirely in line with my approach to life, I would lean more toward the way in which the Irishman lives. My reasoning for this is that he works hard and then reaps the benefits of his labor, which he is subsequently able to enjoy with his family. Although Thoreau spends less time working, he is not completely able to appreciate all that life has to offer, while limiting himself to an incredibly basic diet, which hardly seems sufficient in order to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. The aspect of John’s lifestyle which for one; points out a limit to that of Thoreau’s and secondly; to me proves the most intriguing, is that he has a family and is able to provide for

Thoreau didn’t want to spend money on the “normal” life that he was living in because he saw it as something unnecessary. He also wanted to have the spiritual awakening and develop a sense of self reliance. Clearly, the ability to depend on the self was ideal because it represents the recognition of who one is. By confronting life without the distractions and seeing it’s simplicity it is effortless to gain insight to the value it stores. Thoreau also wanted to get in touch with his psyche and live things for

Thoreau demonstrates negative views of the society he lives in through out his work Walden. He loathes the way people become materialistic and give into greed. If Thoreau were to be alive at this time of age he would detest all tecnology we have today finding them useless. "Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind" as shown in this quote from his book Walden in the second chapter called "Where I lived and What I live for" shows his negative opinion towards the luxuries people obtain. Thoreau's ideas may seem reasonable and idealistic but as much as Thoreau wants his readers to have an open mind in his work he himself needs to have an open mind on the way humans and society works.

Regard not your past failures nor successes. All the past is equally a failure and a success; it is a success in as much as it offers you the present opportunity.” Henry David Thoreau’s life and works force us to reflect on the state of society and the measure of its impact in our lives. His emphasis on finding that which we are called to do and on pursuing it regardless of impediment continues to inspire others to truly absorb what life has to teach

As so he thinks that we need to be on Nature's time instead of rushing it. Thoreau says,"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 is basically saying that we should slow down by giving ourselves some space to think about our values and where it's taking us. I do agree with him on this one. My reason is because, now days we do stick our noses in our cell phones. We get lured into it more and more as we use them. The messaging and the calling distracts us from the old fashion way. I loved the past when they would speak to each other face to face 24/7. The messaging took place of the old fashioned hand written letters. If we focus too much on the New advanced technologies, I do think that we will become distracted on what the past has brung us. He says,"Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at." I don't think technologies are toys because, they do come in handy most of the time. One thing they do is distract us. You rarely see kids playing outside anymore because they're now busy playing video games. Nature is how we started off and we should respect

Henry David Thoreau, in his book of Walden or Life in the Woods, he asserts that we don’t think for ourselves and that we create habits by following the society system. Thoreau claims, that we live only to commit ourselves to labor to accumulate wealth and property. As Thoreau says, “The mass of man lead lives of quiet desperation” in this quote he means that we choose to slave ourselves, because we see limited choices but yet we have an infinite will of choice. Thoreau method to avoid living a life with habits and labor, is by not committing to things that are uncertain to us.