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Henry David Thoreau's View Of Transcendentalism

1416 Words6 Pages

Marisa Pope
Professor Elizabeth Threatt
English 231
17 April 2016
Title
In “Walden”, Henry David Thoreau illuminates how society structures people’s lives and their actions. Within his works, Thoreau discusses how people should live their own lives and quit conforming to what society idealizes as the proper ways to do things. Thoreau is a very unique individual who cares nothing about what society thinks or feels about him. Thoreau’s perspective of transcendentalism is defined by his arguments of non-conformity, nature and to have a simple and deliberate lifestyle, and also to be anti-institutional. Initially, Thoreau shows that he will not conform by doing an experiment that causes him to isolate himself from society. In Thoreau’s mind …show more content…

Simplicity is more than just a mode of life to Thoreau. Thoreau admits “For many years I was a self-appointed inspector of snow storms and rain storms, and did my duty faithfully; surveyor, if not of highways, then of forest paths and all across-lot routes, keeping them open, and ravines bridged and passable at all seasons, where the public heel had testified to their utility” (Thoreau 867). He keeps track of all the weatherly changes that occur and he also makes notes about the people who walk upon natures path. Thoreau states “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” (Thoreau 906). Thoreau ventures off to live in nature to help him search for the meaning of his life and all things. He also did not want to die before knowing that he wasted his life. While in isolation, Thoreau finds nature as a companion. The animals do not talk, but their presence is enough for him. Thoreau emphasizes the animal by giving them human characteristics, making them into mini humans. With the absence of voice Thoreau takes this time while also in isolation to do some self-reflecting. Thoreau notes, “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, as I may say …show more content…

Thoreau is a unique individual because to experiment by using himself as a test subject to isolate himself from society is not what people of this time period would consider normal. Finally, Thoreau calls on all individuals to experience multiple aspects of life. “I left the woods for as good reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I have several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one” (Thoreau 928). Thoreau believes that he has fulfilled the purpose of his experiment, he also feels as if he has lived in that particular moment enough and must move on to the

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