Monday, December 3, 2012

Walden, or Life in the Woods



I think that Walden is an interesting piece. In it, Thoreau talks about how he lived by himself for a few years in the woods. This piece shows that Thoreau was a non-conformist, and isolated from the rest of society. He seems like he enjoyed this simple lifestyle. I think that he is saying that while non-conformity may seem undesirable, in reality it is good and can help everyone. I think this relates to Self-Reliance and “Much madness is divinest Sense” because it is talking about how non-conformity can be good. It echoes those two texts in that way.

5 comments:

  1. actual text:
    http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/ThoWald.html

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  2. It also connects to the modern day. Even though we don't all choose to go live in the woods for a while, we can all take Thoreau's advice and be non-conformists.

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  3. Walden connects specifically to those who choose to do their own thing, and are successful.

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  4. I agree that this piece connects to the other texts through the theme of non-comformity but, I would argue that non-confomity doesn't always help everyone. Take the homeless for example, they do not conform with society but yet they are left out on the streets to fend for themselves.

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  5. that is because society doesn't like those people who don't conform - Dickinson said "Demur - You're straightway dangerous". Society doesn't take in homeless people because they don't conform.

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