Walking And The Suburbanized Psyche, By Rebecca Solnit

Solnit starts out by saying “Freedom to walk is not much use without someplace to go” (Solnit page 262). Solnit starts out by saying our early ancestors used to walk miles in order to obtain food, find romance or communicate. Solnit claims that the average American walking radius has decreased to “a quarter of a mile” (Sonlit page 264) In modern America we prefer to drive to our friends house rather than walk. We spent time more time on social media sites rather face to face communication. As of 2010 the New York Times have announced that the average Americans walk approximately half a mile a day. When I first came to Riverside from Norcal I used to live in motel 6. I have spent four hours a day for three weeks walking getting to know the school and city. Just as Henry David Thoreau said in “Walking,” walking can symbolize a path taken or history that was and now is. This lack of exercise leads to health issues such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, stroke

Solnit’s Solitary Rebecca Solnit explains in her essay, “In Solitary Stroller and the City”, explains about solitary in the urban and solitary in the rural. Solnit first explains her experience in the city of San Francisco, which she said that the city brings many opportunities. “ Solnit shares her experience in the rural are when she went to New Mexico, she explains that the country is spaced out and people are physically distant from one another. In the Solnit’s essay “In Solitary Stroller and the City”, one can experience solitude around many strangers while in the rural one feels solitude geographical. Solnit first explains people “Solnit explains solitary in city in this quote, “In the city, one is alone because the world is made up of stranger, and to be a strangers surrounded by strangers, to walk along silently bearing one’s secret and imaging those of the people one passes, is among the starkest if luxuries,” (Solnit 186).

In many communities, walking ‘behavior’ does appear to be unusual, because it looks so uncommon, despite the natural physiological aspect of walking. Riding in a car is seen as more normal, just like a robotic policeman is seen as more normal in the Bradbury story. Today, people do still walk, but often on a moving conveyor belt at the gym, rather in a real environment. This takes people away from nature and a sense of being part of something larger than themselves.

In “Walking and the Suburbanized Psyche,” the author, Rebecca Solnit, argues that the development of suburbanization has been the primary problem as to why our modern society continues to devalue the significance and impact of walking. Suburbanization hasn’t only changed the way we travel from one place to another, but it has also changed the way we communicate amongst each other and with ourselves. Walking is looked down upon and has been seen as a symbol of low status. This has led people to exterminate the use of walking in their daily lives. However, even if someone would like to walk to their destination they can’t due to the fact that places are shaping their roads to accommodate to the excess use of cars. I agree with Solnit that walking has a positive impact towards our bodies, our world, and our imagination.

In the early 1800’s, walking was idolized by many. The transcendentalists movement was in full swing, people who believed that nature was key to keeping spirits pure and

Throughout the text “Solitary Stroller and the City,” author Rebecca Solnit explores the complex relationships between the walking individual and living in the city. The title brings together three central ideas; walking, the city, and solitariness as an individual.. These three central ideas are tied together and used to reveal deeper meanings and relationships within the text. When analyzing Solnit’s work, the reader is left to identify a complex relationship between the central ideas and how the geography of a city influences all the three of the central ideas. Solnit makes claims throughout the text that are strongly suggestive of a relationship between the ability to walk and its derivability based on the “when” and “where” concepts. The geography and or location can be explored through the comparison of rural walking versus urban walking, the comparison between the cities of London and New York, and the solitariness associated with the geography and structure in one city versus another. Spanning the entire text is the idea that the city influences the walker and their individualism among the crowd, or their perception of solitude. Solnit compares London walkers and New York walkers, exploring how their different geographical locations define their city as a whole as well as the individual. Geography plays a crucial role in one 's idea of solitude and individualism.

In Walking by Henry David Thoreau he starts off “I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute freedom and wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and culture merely civil, — to regard man as an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, rather than a member of society.” He continues on how walking isn’t just a workout or voyage to see the landscape but a crusade to conquer Sainte Terre the “Holy Land”, that we “must walk like camels”. When Thoreau sets out on his crusade he continues about how when walking he tries to avoid the main roads, any villages and any populated areas to avoid society because the word village derives from the Latin words for road and for vile. He believed that if you have paid your debts, settled all your

For my poem I chose “Ode to the Midwest” by Kevin Young. The way I chose this poem was totally random I clicked on a random page that brought me to this poem and I really liked it. In the poem the the poet talks about all of the things that a stereotypical midwesterner does and how he wants to do it all.

In Alice Walker short story 'Everyday Use' she starts the story off talking about the child who made it. I immediately felt like this story was towards the urban community because that's a term regularly used. Walker indicates a show would bring her and Dee together for a special moment. Something being of value differs with each person. For example a broken watch, can have value because a deceased family members once wore it. Something being of value is it have a historical background that represents something more. Walker quilt has value to her because it's how she connects with Dee. In the short story you see the difference between Walker character and Dee. "Why don’t you do a dance around the ashes? I’d wanted to ask her. She had hated

In the personal essay Going out for a Walk by Max Beerbohm, Beerbohm approaches the concept of walking with a different point of view. Beerbohm characterizes walking as an activity that impedes thoughts and a good chat, articulating that the brain "stops" during a walk. Ironically, Going out for a Walk was written during a walk. Beerbohm's conveys that walking is the soul's judgment and not logic that would make a person walk without purpose. Although, Beerbohm states that he doesn't mind if one is walking for exercise as long as it's done in moderation, but he still disapprove of people that walk without a purpose.

From my point of view I believe my neighborhood shapes who you are. If you live in poor area you would striving trying to move forward. Yet it is available to get involved into drugs in your neighborhood. If in your neighborhood there are roll into that type of stuff it is more accessible to you get into drugs. Like what David L. Kirp states that, “They fear that when poor people move next door crime, drugs, blight, bad public schools and higher taxes inevitable follow”. What he is saying is that usually people that are poor just get enclose full of drugs, people who are criminal, and have a bad school. You can end up either become addicted to drugs or become a criminal. In my neighborhood there is no drugs or criminals so I am not either a criminal or do drugs. I believe if a grew up someplace else I would end up being someone different. For example in Los Angeles there are a lot of gangs around the city. I would come to be into a gang in order to fitting in the area so that you won't get beat up or something. You become one with your surroundings and people you hang around with in your neighborhood. Also the houses are economical because it is has lost its value and there are a lot of trash or gang graffiti on the walls. You can also see a lot of homeless people on the streets. It can help you or either consume you just how it

In 2000 the suburban area has been changed in United States. Most of the cities has been developed and growth widely. After the television and the movies attracted so many different people, the gays, the lesbian and straight population has been increasing every year. Which is created the weight on the shoulders of the city. According to the book Urban Politics (2010) “ Television and Hollywood’s” Schizophrenic view of suburbia”. The suburbia continue to prosper because of rapid population size. The population as homogeneous string more privileged from the white class and upper class bedroom or dormitory communities.

the architects ‘s design of the five passages , give the man the opportunoty to

The essay “Walking “is a reflection on walking and the wildness that is found in nature. Thoreau discusses walking as way to take time for oneself and concentrate on only nature. According to Thoreau, walking temporarily liberates individuals from the activities of daily life. Thoreau implies walking can reconnect people to nature. In fact, he would rather have a swamp as his front yard than a garden. Why would Thoreau prefer swamps over gardens? Maybe it is because swamps naturally occur and are left alone. However, gardens are manmade and the natural landscape of the gardens were altered by humans. If Thoreau had a swamp as his front yard, he would constantly be surrounded by nature. Therefore, he would feel more connected to nature after

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” This quote is from Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher who mused on the Apollonian and Dionysian literary concept. These concepts deliberate the influence logic and emotion have on thought, particularly the conflict between the two, as well as individuation versus connection to the world. Walking is like a physical manifestation of the Dionysian concept, as not only does it physically connect one to the natural world, but also lends itself to creative thinking. While some assume walking is only beneficial to the physical well-being of a person, others claim it also stimulates creative thoughts and ideas.