Unit-6-Henry-David-Thoreau

HenryDavidThoreau(1817-1862)Americanwriter,philosopher,andnaturalistAmericanessayistandpoetLeaderofAmericanTranscendentalismLifeHenryDavidThoreauwasbornonJuly12,1817,inConcord,Massachusetts.ThoreaugrewupinConcordandattendedHarvard,wherehewasknownasaseriousthoughunconventionalscholar.DuringhisHarvardyearshewasexposedtothewritingsofRalphWaldoEmerson,wholaterbecamehischiefmentorandfriend.In1845ThoreaubuilthimselfasmallcabinontheshoreofWaldenPond,nearConcord;thereheremainedformorethantwoyears,“livingdeepandsuckingoutallthemarrowoflife.”Wishingtoleadalifefreeofmaterialisticpursuits,hesupportedhimselfbygrowingvegetablesandbysurveyinganddoingoddjobsinthenearbyvillage.Hedevotedmostofhistimetoobservingnature,reading,andwriting,andhekeptadetailedjournalofhisobservations,activities,andthoughts.Itwasfromthisjournalthathelaterdistilledhismasterpiece,Walden.OneofThoreau’smostimportantworks,theessay“CivilDisobedience”(1849),grewoutofanovernightstayinprisonasaresultofhisconscientiousrefusaltopayapolltaxthatsupportedtheMexicanWar.Thoreau’sadvocacyofcivildisobedienceasameansfortheindividualtoprotestthoseactionsofhisgovernmentthatheconsidersunjusthashadawide-rangingimpact—ontheBritishLabourmovement,thepassiveresistanceindependencemovementledbyGandhiinIndia,andthenonviolentcivil-rightsmovementledbyMartinLutherKingintheUnitedStates.Aftergraduation,Thoreauworkedforatimeinhisfather’spencilshopandtaughtatagrammarschool,butin1841hewasinvitedtoliveintheEmersonhousehold,whereheremainedintermittentlyuntil1843.HeservedashandymanandassistanttoEmerson,helpingtoeditandcontributingpoetryandprosetothetranscendentalistmagazine,TheDial.Thoreauisalsosignificantasanaturalistwhoemphasizedthedynamicecologyofthenaturalworld.Aboveall,Thoreau’squiet,one-manrevolutioninlivingatWaldenhasbecomeasymbolofthewilledintegrityofhumanbeings,theirinnerfreedom,andtheirabilitytobuildtheirownlives.Thoreau’swritings,includinghisjournals,werepublishedin20volumesin1906.Works1.Walden,orLifeintheWoods18542.CivilDisobedience18493.LifeWithoutPrinciple18634.AWeekontheConcordandMerrimackRivers18495.TheMaineWoods18646.CapeCod18657.SlaveryinMassachusetts1854EvaluationHebecameoneofthethreegreatAmericanauthorsofthe19thcenturywhohadnotcontemporaryreadersandyetbecamegreatinthiscentury,theothertwobeingHermanMelvilleandEmilyDickinson.HisinfluencegoesbeyondAmerica.HisstatuewasplacedinthehallofFameinNewYorkin1969alongsidethoseofothergreatAmericans.ThoreauhasbeenregardedasaprophetofindividualisminAmericanliterature.Hewasverycriticalofmoderncivilization.“Civilizedmanisthesalveofmatter.”WaldenThoreau:Walden,orLifeintheWoods(1854)Histhoughtaboutthisexperiencewasdevelopedinthejournalsoveraperiodofyears,andtheresultisWalden,aseriesof18essaysdescribingThoreau’sidealisticcreedasaffectedbyandexpressedinhislifeatthePond.WaldenPondThoreauleftsocietytoexperiencetruesolitudeinnature.HereiswherehewroteWalden.Simplicity!AtWaldenPond,Thoreausoughttosimplifyhislifeasmuchaspossible.Hebuilthisowncabinandhuntedhisownfood.ThemesofWaldenTheimportanceofself-reliance—HeputintopracticetheTranscendentalistbeliefthatonecanbesttranscendnormalityandexperiencetheDivinethroughnature.Thevalueofsimplicity(reduceone’sdesires)Theillusionofprogress—Hewasverycriticalofmoderncivilization.Itwas,inhisopinion,degradingandenslavingman.“Civilizedmanistheslaveofmatter.”CommentonWaldenBetweentheendofMarch1845andJuly4,ThoreauconstructedacabinontheshoreofWaldenPond,nearConcord.TherehelivedaloneuntilSeptember1847,supplyinghisneedsbyhisownlaboranddevelopingandtestinghistranscendentalphilosophyofindividualism,self-relianceandmaterialeconomyforthesakeofspiritualwealth.Hesoughttoreducehisphysicalneedstoaminimum,inordertofreehimselfforstudy,thought,andobservationofnature,himself.Thereforehiscabinwasasimpleroomandheworethecheapestessentialclothingandrestrictedhisdiettowhathefound.Waldencanbemanythingsandcanbereadonmorethanonelevel.Butitis,firstandforemost,abookaboutman,whatheis,andwhatheshouldbeandmustbe.Thoreaurealizedthatmanyofhiscontemporariesviewednaturesolelyintermsofresourcesthatcouldbeharvestedtofueltechnologicaladvancementandthefurtherdevelopmentofanindustrialeconomy.Heattemptedinhisworktoshifttheemphasisawayfromwhathumanbeingscoulddowithnaturetowhattheycouldlearnfromnature.Thebookraisesanumberofissuesandarguments,butThoreau’scentralconcernremainshowpeoplehavebecomeseparatedfromnatureandhaveallowedtheweightofsocialcustoms,habits,andmaterialgainstodeprivethemofthefreedomtoknowthemselvesandtoseektheirspiritualandintellectualfulfillment.Heworriesthathiscontemporarieshavebecomeimmersedindesiresformaterialcomfort,socialstatus,andmoneysothatthesefactorsdefinetheirlivesandobscurewhatThoreaubelievesisthepurposeofliving.Throughoutthebookheemphasizesthevalueofsimplicityasameansofeliminatingthatwhichisunnecessarytoone’sinnerlife,drawinguponimagesofmoltingandsheddingtosuggestthewaysinwhichhumanscanalsopartwithaccumulateddetritus(碎石)inexchangefortheopportunitytoencountertheirtrueselvesandtruthsinnature.Thoreauh