Today we are going to discuss Walden, look at the final essay choices for the book, read "Chief Seattle's Speech" and relate it to Walden
You have two choices for the essay question. Choose and write only one of these.
1) ESSAY QUESTION:
NOTE- this is due the Wednesday you return from break.
As far as structure goes, think about the following the cycle of a year (Summer - Spring), and find parallels (Pond in Summer vs Pond in Winter). These parallels will have interrelated ideas or a return or expansion on an ideal. Further think about the dialectical structure in which pairs of chapters present thematic counterpoints to each other (e.g. "Reading" vs. "Sounds," "Solitude" vs. "Visitors").
You should also look at the Thoreau's continue assessment of American or Human culture. It is in all chapters - through, it is more subtle in most (examples will be shown below).
Bill McKibben's focus on Thoreau's practical advice for living, however, calls our attention to another structure in which the long opening chapter, "Economy," provides a diagnosis of what is wrong with American life: materialism. The body of the book then presents a cure for the disease of materialism: striving for purity and simplicity as exemplified by Thoreau's own experience and by the symbolic purity of Walden Pond. The final chapter presents Thoreau's optimistic prognosis that each individual reader has the potential to vastly improve his or her life by shifting priorities.
Liberation from traditional economic systems
Solitude
Self-Improvement
Practical and Formal Education
Nature as Eternal Guide and Teacher
2) Towards the end of the book Thoreau states
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.”
What does he mean by this and how does Walden reflect this quote. Make an argument about how Thoreau achieves this quote. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. This essay needs to be at least three pages.
10/27 page 288
10/28 page308
10/29 work on dialectical journals
10/30 Finish book
Chapter 15: Winter Animals
Walking on the frozen pond. Listening to and visiting animals (contrast
with previous chapter). There is a great story here about the Hunter
who "lost his dog but found a man". Think about Thoreau's "pure"
definition of man. The Hunter keeps asking Thoreau, while asking about
his dog, "What are you doing here?" This seems to be an important point
or idea? The hunter (remember Thoreau's discussion of hunting) finds
Thoreau - the hermit, the poet...
Chapter 16: The Pond in Winter
You really need to connect this with the chapter "Ponds" or the pond in
summer. There is one of the greatest ice cutting scenes in all of
literature. Thoreau describes the ice in different colors - emerald
(think the importance here), blue. The ice is apparently transported
all over. Thoreau talks about being able to look into the pond and see
his soul, and then at then end of the chapter connects (through some
strange imagination) Walden pond with rivers/waters all over the world.
All people drink from his "well" and all water is connected. He
connects Ganges, Atlantis, the Persian Gulf - and the past, present and
future in water.
Really consider the spiritual nature of water here.
Chapter 17 Spring
Rebirth.
"And so the seasons went rolling on into summer, as one rambles into higher and higher grass."
Note, man-nature-God are all connected, so how do you make sense of the quote?
"I finally left Walden September 6th, 1847." (Near the end of summer).
Chapter 18 Conclusion - which is the conclusion of the book. Think about how he wraps up his themes and returns to the beginning?
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