Thoreau's Walden

Where I Lived, and What I Lived For: Summary
     Thoreau described the places he looked at to live before choosing Walden Pond.  He figured out that he wanted to live away from socialization and the woods was the best place to do this.  When he moves into the house way Walden Pond he describes it as a place fit for a god or goddess.  Thoreau ends Where I Lived, and What I Lived For by basically saying people need to continue on in their existence until they hit they hit rock bottom to really understand what reality is in our world.

Where I Lived, and What I Lived For: Paraphrase [3]
     Thoreau has watched a poet back, having delighted in the best area of the farm, while a farmer reckoned he only received a few apples. A poet is the farmer while the rhyme is the farm it must be worked at until it is perfect and finished.

Conclusion: Summary
     Thoreau talks about how a doctors tell people to change their scenery when they are sick.  He disagrees and instead believes a change of personality instead of landscape would benefit the person more.  He tells people that by striving for their dreams they will meet unknown successes.  Thoreau tries to inspire people to sell their nice clothing and leave what they know behind in order to find out who they really are.

Conclusion: Paraphrase [9]
     Some say that Americans are not as smart as men from ancient times.  But what does that have to do with anything? A living animal is better than a dead one.  Man should kill himself because he dwells in a race of non intelligent people instead of being the smartest person he can.  Everyone should mind their own business and strive to be what they want to be.

 1 -     In my opinion Thoreau is a Subjectivist.  There are two examples that make Thoreau a subjectivist.  In the first example, from Where I Lived, and What I Lived For, Thoreau explains how doctors tell people who are sick they should change their scenery. Thoreau disagrees and instead believes people should change who they are on the inside.  The doctor is saying that if people changed the objects around them they will get better while Thoreau says if people change who they are mentally they will get better.  In the second example, from Conclusion, Thoreau urges people to sell their material possessions.  If people were to get rid of their possessions they could focus on their personality and who they really are.

2 -      "The universe is wider than our views of it." Thoreau says this in the chapter Conclusion.  I believe Thoreau means that there is more to the world then what we know.  I agree with this statement.  There is more to the world then what we know and what we see.  There are things going on in other countries that are not going on here in America that we do not know of.

3 -      I agree with Thoreau's statement of "I found thus that I had been a rich man without any damage to my poverty".  I agree with this because people can be "rich" without being economically rich.  People need basic needs in life to survive.  These basic needs include foot, clothing, shelter, and water.  With these basic needs satisfied people can focus on other things in life like Thoreau did.