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Essay / Where I Lived and What I Lived Through: Experience of Social Isolation
Henry David Thoreau was an American author who will perhaps be considered one of the most opinionated proponents of environmentalism. He became famous for his violent outbursts of anger against nature and the injustice of society. As a strong proponent of environmentalism, Thoreau believed that nature was the embodiment of the spiritual world and that people should free themselves from the responsibilities of society to embrace the theology of nature. Thoreau believes that instead of using nature as a symbol of the sacred world or making it comparable to the sacred world that exists, there should now be an awareness that nature in itself is the sacred world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Thoreau presents his work, Walden, as a prayer for transcendentalism. Among the Transcendentalists' main values were the fundamental righteousness of people and nature and they understood that individuals remained at their best when they had confidence in themselves. The key and persistent theme that emerges in transcendentalism is a return to nature. Thoreau moved to Walden Pond to conduct an experiment in personal liberation as opposed to social interaction – it was not isolation but rather an experiment in the truest form. Thoreau leaves for Walden Pond to observe, discover, and study, suggesting his transcendentalist philosophies. In Walden, Thoreau clarifies his view of transcendentalism through his descriptions of nature and his gratitude to the sounds of nature. Thoreau's writings in Walden, particularly Where I Lived and What I Lived For, Solitude, and Conclusion, are an insight into the experience he carried out. He performed a social isolation experiment and wrote about the entire experience at Walden. In this experience, he was only a mile from society, although it was not absolute isolation. Thoreau considers that instead of applying nature as a symbol (or metaphor) for the spiritual world or allowing it to be important that the spiritual world is close, we must now realize that nature, in this case, is the spiritual world. . The main elements to focus on in these three readings are: “why and how he had this experience; Did he develop new relationships that he lacked due to isolation? And what did he learn from this experience? as well as his views on nature and what he witnessed of nature during this period. Thoreau's reasons for having this experience are evident in the text, Where I Lived and Why I Lived, which dramatized his experience by first explaining why he chose the place that he chose for his cabin and how he made that decision. He explains how he talked to neighboring farmers about their land, how he surveyed land he was interested in, and how he almost became a land broker of sorts to his friends because he was always talking about the value of the land. earth and how he examined it. But once he found the "perfect" spot for himself, he said, "I discovered many sites for a house that probably wouldn't be improved anytime soon, that some might have thought too far ahead from the village, but in my eyes, the village was too far from there. Well, I could live there, I said; and there I lived, for an hour, a summer life and a winter life; I saw how I could let the years pass, get through the winter and see the spring come.” Thoreau explains that he found a place to spend many seasonsand a place isolated enough to make him realize what he was missing when he let the years pass. After setting the stage for the experiment and presenting the details, he shows the nature part of transcendentalism and explains what he believed was happening and what he witnessed. Thoreau believed that he had engaged with the birds that live in the trees just outside his cabin instead of engaging them in his house. He states: “…for I found myself suddenly close to the birds; not only by having imprisoned one, but by having put myself in a cage near them. I was not only closer to some of those who usually frequent the garden, but also to those who, the wildest and most exciting singers of the forest, never, or rarely, serenade a villager... ". He uses the birds that surround him as a symbol of the nature with which he has surrounded himself. In this chapter of Walden, Thoreau explains why he performed this experiment. He explains that he wanted to live a life independent of the things of the daily He says: “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to face only the essential facts of life, and to see if I could not learn what it had to teach me, and. no, when I died, to discover that I had not lived I did not wish to live what was not life, to live is so dear I did not want to practice resignation either, unless that; is absolutely necessary.” Thoreau wanted to live a life worth living instead of living a life he would regret as he grew older; so he left to live alone and in solitude. In Thoreau's Walden chapter, "Solitude," he shows the relationship and attitude he has developed with God, nature, life, and health and he explains why this is perfectly healthy for him. spend a lot of time alone in nature. It presents the idea of living in literal solitude and how living in communion with nature is good for the mind, body and soul. During this time, Thoreau sees particular elements of nature that are not usually attractive to him but are now more obvious to him. He says: "As I walk along the stony bank of the pond in my shirtsleeves, even though it is cool, cloudy and windy, and I see nothing special to attract me, all the elements are particularly pleasant to me. Thoreau is trying to show his audience that being alone does not mean being alone, but that a man standing in a crowded room or in a room that has only two parts to life – work and sleep – is everything also alone. He tries to show his audience that no matter the situation, alone is alone. He says: “I find it healthy to be alone most of the time. Being in company, even with the best, quickly becomes boring and dissipating. I like to be alone. I have never found a friendlier companion than solitude. We are more alone when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our apartments. A man who thinks or who works is always alone, whether he is wherever he wants.” Thoreau is trying to show his audience that it doesn't matter who the business is, if the people around don't make you happy, then they are not considered the business and therefore you are on your own. He also specifies: “Loneliness is not measured by the kilometers of space that come between a man and his fellow men.” Thoreau believes that loneliness is not measured by distance but by those around you. This experience helped Thoreau learn a lot about nature and solitude. In the final chapter of Walden, “Conclusion,” Thoreau concludes the entire story of Walden with the belief that there will soon be a resurrection of humanity. Thoreau speaks of the.